The Hunted
by AspiringOutcast
Summary: When a girl ends up getting on the wrong side of a gang of poachers, she is put under the protection of Reliable Excavation Demolition, little does she know, she is still in grave danger. Previously called 'Danger Around Every Corner'.
1. New Member

Chapter One - The First Day

The Administrator took a puff of her cigarette, rubbing her temples with her index fingers, "So, your daughter has got in trouble with some idiot poachers, and you're asking me to take her in, to be under the protection of nine unstable mercenaries?" The man nodded, "Yea', and as I'm me and your you, I'm not askin' ye to, Ah'm telling you to". She woman sighed deeply, knowing she couldn't argue with the man, "Fine, which team is she to be under the protection of?" The man thought about the decision to be made, stroking his moustache "RED". The Administrator nodded and looked to the door, "Miss Paulings? Take our guest to the transport, we will leave immediately!" She got up off her office chair and walked out of the room. Miss Pauling followed her closely at her heels like a poodle, "But what about dinner?" The Administrator froze, and walked back to the office, "We will leave in five hours".

~Later, at the RED Base in Tuefort~

The Sniper had taken the so-called honor of look out for the evening, knowing that the Administrator was to be arriving at any given time. The rest of the team was busy readying themselves for her arrival. They had been told that they were getting a new member and so they had all decided they would make a good first impression, hopefully. The roaring of an engine reached the Snipers ears and he grinned, "Oi, mates, they're 'ere!" he called back into the base. The Australian dropped down onto the ground as the car screeched to a halt, the rest of the RED team flooded out of the base and stood at the Sniper's side. No-one spoke as they all anxiously waited for the first glance of the new member. The door of the silver Land Rover swung open and a woman stepped out. "Is that-" the Engineer started, "Yeah! Dat's a chick!" the scout exclaimed as a wide grin spread across his face.

The girl who had stepped out was about the same height as the Scout, with dark brown hair and red streaks that ran down her fringe, which fell at her shoulders. She wore a simple scarlet t-shirt and black trousers which were fairly torn at the knees. On her feet were a pair of steel-toed boots that looked brand new. A leather jacket covered most of her T-shirt, and on the top of each jacket sleeve was a picture of bold lines that got bigger towards the right side. Anybody could tell that the lines were meant to be sound waves. But a single feature that the girl had was the most mysterious to them all; a black blindfold covered the girl's eyes.

The mercenaries' stares ceased when the Administrator stepped out of the car and stood at the girl's side. "Good evening gentlemen, this is RED member ten, you will call her the Listener and she is an assistance class. I do not want to hear any-other news about her other than word about good progress down at Tuefort. Any questions or childish complaints?" She said, her tone demanding with a hint of anger. When only a few murmurs from Soldier broke the silence, the Administrator nodded and calmly got back into the car, pausing to mutter a few words to them, "Your next battle with BLU is two days from now at mid-day". The Soldier nodded at the statement and grinned as if he was already thinking of a way to crush them. With a tired sigh, the Administrator got back into the car and closed the door after her.

With a sickening screech, the Land Rover drove off back the way it came at top speed, leaving the now ten members of RED in the spiraling dust left behind. Naturally, the Spy was the first to approach the girl, "Bonjour mon doux, welcome to ze RED team," he said, his signature smirk shining through the holes in his mask, "I am ze Spy". The man stood at her side and pointed each member out; "Zis is Ivan our Heavy, Friday our Medic, Dell the Engineer, Jane Doe the deranged psychopath-" a loud shout of protest came from the red-faced Soldier. "WHY YOU BACKSTABBING COWARD! I OUGHT TO STRANGLE YOU WITH YOUR OWN FRILLY TRAINING BRA!" he shouted, giving the Spy his signature two fingered salute. "Oh please, Soldier, if you had let me continue I was going to say Jane Doe the deranged psychopath of a great and powerful leader" the Spy sighed, sarcasm coating his tone of voice. Doe obviously didn't catch the sarcasm and nodded, a great and proud smile on his face, but then it fell when he locked eyes with the new member, "Now see here 'Listener', this is not some play ground, this is war and I love it!" He yelled at her, "Women belong in the kitchen, if you are to even set foot on this battlefield, I'm going to have to train this useless heap of bones that you call a body!" The Listener, to everyone's surprise, slammed her feet together and stood to attention, shouting out a swift 'Sir, Yes Sir!" to please him. The Soldiers grin widened, "Tomorrow at nine hundred hours you will report to the Training Field for ten hours of excruciating... Well, training!"

"Sir, yes Sir!"

"I expect to see you then, not a millisecond late, and with your weapons to show me what you've got, is that clear?"

"Sir, yes Sir!"

"Good! As you were private!" The Soldier beamed and saluted the girl whom took no hesitation in saluting back. The deranged psychopath of a great and powerful leader marched off towards base. The girls posture instantly dropped as the man disappeared, "Finally, I though' he'd never stop talking, continue Spoi". The Spy rolled his eyes as he continued, "Burns is ze Pyro, Jack is ze Sniper, ze Demoman is Tavish and our extremely annoying Scout iz Ethan." Another shout of protest came from the scout, yet this time it was ignored. The girl nodded and spoke, "I'm Roxie, the Listener. It's a roight pleasure to meet ya". If it were possible the Snipers eyes grew to the size of golf balls with realization at her accent, "Ey Sheila, yer from Australia ain't ya!" he said, clearly excited to have another Australian on the team. "Yea', I'm from Australia." she replied, her tone as plain and emotionless as a rock.

"Koala-hugger or not, I'm goin' in for da kill!" Ethan whispered to the Engineer, whom replied with a roll of the eyes. The Scout stepped over to the girl, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "So, Roxie, yer lookin' great! But not as great as me, naturally, I mean look at this!" he exclaimed, flexing his non-existent muscles. But yet again his concentration failed and he ended up staring at the girl's chest. "Oh ho, man dats beautiful..." he whispered to himself. Suddenly, a fist slammed into his face, and Ethan went flying backwards into the dirt. Roxie growled and rubbed her knuckles, as if she were ready to punch the boy again. The men that were watching the scene burst into laughter and the Engineer, through hearty chuckles, said "Hoo-ee! I like the lil' missy already!" The Sniper, who was still in fit of laughter, picked the boy up off the floor "Ya really need ta work on th' way you act 'round Sheila's mate!" he stated, wiping a tear from his eye. The Scout shoved the Sniper away and wiped the flowing blood from his broken nose. He had to hand it to the girl, she had one heck of a punch, "Whose ya dad, a frickin' Boxer?" he yelled at the girl. "Well, he is slightly..." she said, still no emotion in her voice or on her face. The Scout scoffed and started throwing careless insults her way, to which she retaliated instantly.  
>"Koala-hugger!"<p>

"Bloody brat!"

"Frickin' brainless girl!"

"Momma's boy!"

The Medic decided to finish the argument before it got any worse and pulled the two apart. "Vell, who shall be ze one to show das mädchen around?" The Medic asked, looking around at the group, struggling at keeping the two teenagers away from each other. "Seeing as it's normally me, Spy, Sniper, Soldier or Medic that does the tour of the base, I nominate Demo to show the lil' missy around" the Engineer said, his eyes still resting on her. The rest of the team apart from Scout nodded, as the runner was too busy nursing his broken nose and muttering unheard complaints about not being a 'Momma's boy'. "Al'igh then Lassie, on wit' de tour!" Tavish said as he drunkenly staggered towards the base. The group parted, still chuckling about the earlier scene whilst walking off to tend to their business. Scout growled at the Listener and turned to chase after Medic to hopefully get his broken nose healed up.

"This is theh main part of tha base lassie, where we do all'our meetin's an' plannin'" Tavish said as they entered a room with four exits, not including the steel shutters with the sign 'respawn' above it highlighted in red. The Scottish man led the girl down a spiraling corridor, and into the intelligence room, "Dis lassie is our Intel, we have all o' our mission breifin's here," he said, gesturing around the room and explaining the main set out of the base. "As ye got yerself inta a trainin' session wit' Solly, you'll be happy ta know tha' theh trainin' field is just out those doors lassie" he said, pointing to two doors which were not-so-surprisingly painted red. "Al'ight mate, where're our rooms?" Roxie asked, her speech as plain as ever. "Tha rooms are through tha' door ther' " he said as he pointed at yet another red door that was carefully hidden in the corner of the room. "Alroight then" she stated, picking up her bag which she had dropped. She started walking away, but before she could, a hand stopped her. "Say lassie, why do ya do that?" Tavish asked, worry in his voice. "Do what?" the girl said, her blindfold moving slightly like she was raising her eyebrow. "Ye don' show no feelin's, at all!" he exclaimed, trying to figure her out. A few moments of silence passed, before she responded, "Feelings are for the weak and are a gateway to the soul." The Demoman found himself shocked at her attitude, and stared at her as she walked off to find her room. He couldn't believe how much she sounded like the Soldier. Shaking his head, he picked up his bottle of scrumpy and staggered off to drink himself silly, "Thankfully, I already don't remember this..."

Roxie's P.O.V :

She flinched as the door slammed shut after her. Room number ten was in her opinion, absolutely beautiful. The Walls were a bright red and the floor was a soft black carpet. And the best thing about it? She tried the switch yet no light came. There was no light. With a laugh, threw off the black blindfold that covered her emerald eyes and shuddered at the small change of light. She could see. Not very much of course, but she could finally be safe from the sun, no more hiding her eyes behind the blindfold. Her laughs steadily increased as the girl fell onto the red hammock that she rightfully claimed as her own. After a few moments of manic laughter, she suddenly stopped and sat up. She had showed emotion. Her eyes widened in fear at the world around her. She was weak, she was alone and now she was completely vulnerable. Her green eyes scanned the room and she hid under the covers of the hammock. They could be anywhere, in front of her, above her, below her or even- behind her. She froze as panic began to bubble inside of her. She had to keep composure! Feelings were the way to her weakness, she couldn't be weak. Not here, not anywhere. She whimpered and curled up in her hammock. It was no use, she couldn't hide, and they were coming for her.


	2. Getting to know Roxie

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I didn't think I'd get any. Heres the new chapter where a little bit more information is given out. Not too much mind you, but enough. Enjoy :)  
><strong>

"WAKE UP MAGGOT, YOUR LATE FOR TRAINING!" A loud voice yelled. Listener practically fell out of her hammock in surprise, but once she gathered her bearings, she breathed and opened the door, "Mornin' Soldier, may Oi help ye?" She had opened the door just as he was about to literally kick it down and so he was balanced on one foot with his shovel grasped tightly in his right hand. The Soldier steadied himself and got back on two feet, "Your late maggot! It's o' eight hundred hours and you're meant to be ready for training!" he shouted, spraying spit towards her. She luckily managed to move out of the way of the spit, "Soldier, ye told me teh be on the field by nine". The soldier's helmet rose up a centimetre, and the listener easily understood the fact he had raised his eyebrows in realisation. "Oh, uh, right! Of course! I was just checking that you had remembered the time and place!" The Soldier turned around and started to march off when he froze, "You have very nice looking eyes, urm, Maggot!" Roxie's eyes widened in shock and horror, she had forgotten to put her blindfold on! She turned on her heels and bolted into the room, slamming the door behind her.

Roxie paced back and forth, regretting even opening the door. The Soldier had seen her eyes, no one, not even her father had seen her eyes! She leaned on a wall and sighed. Well it can't be helped now. Once again she let out a sigh and spotted something in the corner of the room, a yellow sticky note was stuck on the wall. Out of curiosity, she picked it up and read the note, 'Morning, Mon Cheri, it would seem that you have not been supplied with a shower room of your own and so I have booked the shower's from eight until eight-thirty under your name. Your welcome, Lé Spy'. So the Spy had been in her room? Oo-Kay... It was nice of him to go and book the showers for her, she had to admit, but him going into her room was kind of creepy. Roxie shrugged and gathered her needed items for the shower. Not forgetting this time, she tied the blindfold around her eyes and once again the world became dark.

~Half an hour later, in the mess hall~

Roxie sat down at an abandoned table in the corner of the room. She placed down her breakfast and started to tuck in when a high-pitched whistle rang out, " 'ey, lassie, why don'cha come an' sit wit' us?" the Demoman, Tavish if she recalled correctly, shouted at her from across the room. The Demoman, Scout, Sniper, Engineer and Pyro were all seated at a large table; it seemed that they had saved her the seat. She nodded and picked up her breakfast, walking over to the free seat next to the Sniper and sitting down. "Aw, why'd ya hafta invite little miss emo over here?" The Scout asked, receiving a smack around the head from the Engineer in response, "Now like it or not Scout, this here girls a member of our team, so you start showing respect or I'm gonna have to beat ya like a rented mule!" Ethan scoffed and glared daggers at the girl from under his cap.

"So, Roxie roight? Why're ya here?" The Sniper asked, "Not ta be rude or anythin' we're all jus' curious." Roxie took a sip of her coffee and sat back into the chair, "Do ye wan' tha truth?" The Pyro nodded and mumbled, "Yshh hee wan dh trthh". Roxie sighed and sat forward, taking a deep breath before breaking the news to them, "I'm here 'cause I'm bein' hunted by a bloody gang a' poachers, and mah dad bein' the big-shot he is has demanded protection for meh". The Sniper dropped his mug in shock, its contents spilling all over the table. Yet none of them moved to clean it up, they just stared at her. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Engineer spoke, "What in tarnation did you do tah get 'em after you?" Roxie sighed and locked eyes with the Sniper, "Sniper, have you heard of the Predators?" Jack's eyes widened and his whole body stiffened, "Ye didn't!" The Listener reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, "But oi did". She placed the paper down on the table and slid it over to them.

The Sniper immediately picked it up and his beady eyes hidden behind his aviators skimmed across every word. His fists suddenly clenched and the paper was screwed up in his hands. Jack threw down the paper and stormed out of the room, the doors swinging and threatening to come off their hinges from the sheer amount of force the sniper had used to slam them shut behind him. "Frickin' hell, what's fucked him up the arse?" the Scout asked, glaring at Roxie as if he was blaming her. From another room, they could hear Tavish chuckling at the innuendo yet they ignored it. "I dunno, but I'm going to find out" the Engineer murmured before stalking after the angry Australian. The area was quiet as the Texan left, leaving the Scout, Roxie and Pyro behind to deal with the awkward moment. "Well I aint protectin' ya, better find some other body guard sweet cheeks" Ethan stated, leaning back in his chair with his hands linked behind his head. "Scct! Sst uur jhbb" Pyro argued, crossing his arms. "Now Ethan-" Roxie started before being cut off by the devil himself, "Holy mudda a god, don' call me that!"

"What, ye don't loike bein' called Ethan?"

"No, it's a frickin' pansy name"

"Then it should suit ye just foine"

"Why you fucking bitch!"

"Now now, Ethan, no usin' big words, ye don' want Mama hearin' do we?"

"I swear all da time, now go back to where ya came from, we ain't gonna be ya body guards!" Scout and Roxie were literally butting heads when Pyro stepped in and shouted angry, muffled words them, "Yhrr akktin lyk chlldrn, Ss shtt hpp!" Ethan growled in the back of his throat and stepped away from the fire bug, "I betcha she can't even fight!"

"Oi can too!"

"Then prove it at the DOFs tonight, unless your a freaking wuss that crys in her sleep!"

"It's on!"

"Fine!" The Scout ran off, leaving the room the same way the Sniper did. Roxie sat down and suppressed all her feelings, she had lost her temper again, she had shown weakness. "Pyro, what did Oi jus' get m'self into?" she asked as she felt her strength drain from her body. "Ssk Slddrr" Burns mumbled to her, pointing to a clock on the wall. Roxie looked up at the clock at swore under her breath, it was two minutes away from nine o'clock. Crapsicles on a pogo-stick. Listener shot off from her seat in a burst of newly found energy. Through her blindfold, Roxie's eyes squinted to see through the material. She took a left and ran through the double-doors leading to the courtyard where the Soldier was expecting her. She skid to a halt in front of the man, and stood to attention with as much dignity as she could. The Soldier seemed to be staring down at her under his helmet, "Welcome to training, maggot! We will start by naming your strengths and weaknesses, as we will use them to figure out what you will be doing on the field, understood?" Roxie froze; she was just going to tell this man her weakness, seriously? "Um, al'righ then..."

-Up at the Sniper's Tower-

Dell looked around, panting as he ran after the taller man. He stopped at the bottom of the ladder to the tower and looked up. Engineer gulped at the distance he'd have to climb in order to reach his friend, but swallowed his fear and nonetheless started climbing. Dell Conagher had never been the one for heights, big or small. He'd always preferred two feet planted firmly on the ground. He checked his distance from the top and was proud of himself for reaching half-way. After a few moments, the terrified Engineer climbed into the Tower and immediately spotted the Australian who was busy doing target practice. "Ya OK there, Mundy?" Dell asked, causing the Sniper to jump out of his skin. "Huh? Oh! Yea', I'm fine..." he replied, taking another shot at whatever the man's 'prey' was. Dell frowned, "Ya don't seem fine, wha's up?" The man asked. With a heavy sigh the Australian turned around to face him, "The shelia took down the head of a bloody gang 'a poached called the Predators, and guess what? The leader was my mongrel of a brother!" he stated, anger growing inside of him once again. The Engineer's eyes widened as he finally understood, "Roxie was the lil' missy who killed Danny?" He whistled and shook his head, "Well there has to be a reason, so ah'm gonna find it out." With that, the Texan stormed towards the door of the sniping tower, stopping as he was faced with the height, "Uhh... You know what? I might just stay up 'ere a bit..."

-Back at the Training Field-

Jane Doe watched the girl take down her twenty-third training dummy with a shot to the head. He had to hand it to the girl, she had skills. His grin widened as he imagined her on the field, she'd be a lethal weapon. As the last dummy went down, the girl was left in the centre of the field puffing and panting from the exercise. "You did good Listener; the first advance on the enemy is tomorrow, so you'll first be with Medic to help him out. Dismissed, Maggot!" He yelled at her. She visibly flinched from the loud noise but calmed down once she realised it was the Soldier. She grinned and walked off towards the mess hall, hoping to get a cup of coffee and find the Medic to tell him the news.

-  
><strong><br>Crappy chapter was crappy, I promise you that the action will start the next chapter, as the Listeners first battle is then.**

**I haven't shown you any of her abilities yet, as you will first see them next chapter. It'll be worth the wait, I promise! And as for her dad, have you figured it out yet? Even if you have, surprises await. Next chapter will be up soon, I don't know how soon, but it won't be forever!**

**Reviews gratefully accepted,  
>AspiringOutcast :)<strong>


	3. Agony

**Hello once again! Here is the new chapter for the story, hope you enjoy! **

**P.s: This chapter is now dedicated to a friend of mine who has just left my school and the area. Shay, you will be missed.**

"Why ya frickin' wuss!"

"Excuse me? Who's tha guy that just lost an arm wrestle?"

"Whose da girl who don't wanna rematch!"

"I've already won an' oi need ta sleep! Now do us all a bloody favor an' shut up!"

The Listener growled as she stormed away from the ranting Scout. He had challenged her to an arm wrestle, and thanks to her experiences with her father she had learnt quite a lot, how to position your arm, how much force to use and of course how to always win. As soon as she had got three in a row, the Scout had stood up and threw his empty can of Bonk! at her whilst shouting "Hacks!" Of course it had ended in an argument that Roxie could not be bothered with. Sighing, she shut the door behind her as she entered her room. She walked a few steps before stopping in her tracks. Her ears twitched slightly as soft noises reached them. She closed her eyes behind her blindfold and listened. Air conditioner, the quiet ranting of Soldier and Scout, the Heavy eating his Sandvich... Footsteps. She turned on her heels and punched at the thin air. From nothing a figured fell to the ground clutching his nose, "I can zee why Scout whined so much" The RED Spy murmured as he petted his broken nose. She smirked as she held her hand out to the man to help him up to which he graciously accepted. "How did you know I was zere,  
>Mon cheri?" He asked as he managed to click his nose back into place. She smiled apologetically at him for breaking his nose, "I listen. That's what I do." The Spy nodded and turned to leave, she could see him wincing from the pain and a stroke of guilt ran through her. "Sorry about the nose mate, force of habit" she stated, scratching the back of her head. He mumbled something in French before disappearing out the door. Most probably to find medic. She sighed as he left and turned to get changed. The woman dressed quickly and dived into her hammock, taking her blindfold off and tossing it onto the pile of clothes she had set out to wear tomorrow. Without hesitation she shut her eyes with a smile upon her lips at remembering one important fact; tomorrow was her first battle.<p>

- The next day, mid-day -

The BLU Spy grinned as he hears the Administrator count down. It was morning, and they were about to rush out to meet the filthy RED's on the battle field for his twenty-seventh time. He ignored the battle cries of his teammates and started to flip his knife open and closed absentmindedly. "Ten seconds left until the start of the mission!" The Administrator announced. With that the BLU team fell quiet as they waited. Miles, the Scout, jogged on the spot to warm up whilst Sven the Heavy hugged his monstrous gun named 'Natascha'. They were ready to fight. "Five, four, three, two, one! Begin!" She shouted into the microphone as they all rushed out of the spawn. The BLU Spy immediately cloaked as he stepped out onto the battlements. A dying scream from the BLU Medic rang out as a single bullet tore into his forehead. Sven's face contorted into one of pure horror and yet at the same time frightening rage. With a final roar he rushed out onto the bridge.

The Spy was already making his way up the stairs to get outside of RED's spawn. He had to take care of that filthy bushman if it was the last thing he'd do. Suddenly he froze; standing outside of the RED Respawn Room was, to the shock of the Frenchman, a woman. He hadn't seen one of the opposite gender for quite sometime and so his charm and silver-Tongue came out to play. With a mysterious woman standing right in front of him, the Sniper could wait.  
>That's when he made a grave mistake. "Bonjour mademoiselle~" he said, taking the final steps if the stairs to face her. A shockwave of pain shot through his chest as he staggered, a small throwing knife planted in it. His eyes widened in shock and agony before yet another knife found his forehead. The corpse of the dead BLU Spy sprawled on the ground, and the girl smirked at the body before she collected her knives.<p>

"Fraulien? Vhere are you?" Medic called out, appearing from around the corner. "I'm here Doc" She replied, walking over to him. "Come, we must go assist the others", the German said, reaching 'go' before stopping and staring at the disappearing corpse of the Spy. His eyes widened and he dragged her into the resupply in a hurry. "What's up Doc?" she asked him, her voice once again falling flat and emotionless. Before she could react the man had grabbed her right hand and plunged a needle into her arm. He pushed the grey, thick-looking fluid into her body through the needle whilst she grimaced and gritted her teeth. With a satisfied look in his eyes he withdrew the needle and dropped her arm which dangled at her side uselessly, weak from the injection. Her eyes widened in horror at her arm, she threw knives with her right hand and there it was, hanging limp at her hip. Oh joy. "I forgot to inject you wiz ze Respawn serum. Zou can now go onto ze battlefield Fraulien" he explained, using gestured to get his meaning across, "Your arm vill be completely useless for zehn minutes." Roxie face palmed with her left hand, "Medic, I need meh right hand tah fight..." His expression turned from plain to sheepish and he scratched his head in guilt, "Whoops?"

A loud alarm echoed through the spawn and the Listener jumped, her left hand clenched into a tight fist as if she were ready to defend herself, "Alert! The enemy has taken our intelligence!" With a growl Roxie stormed out of the spawn to go and deal with the BLU, ignoring the Medic's curses. She quickly made her way down the steps and came face to face with a boy, no a blur! Her eyes could not register where or what it was, but her ears could. The sound of childish laughter belonging to a teenage boy, the whooshing of air coming right towards her. She turned on her heels and went to go for her knives but her dead arm wouldn't respond. A sudden wave of pain crashed over her as the Scout's bat came in contact with her head. With a stumble and another 'supportive' hit on the back with the bat, she was sent sprawling on the ground, over-come by dizziness. "Bonk! Oh man you shoulda-" his laughter stopped when he saw her face. A girl. At his feet and most likely loosing consciousness. His eyes narrowed at her and he was about to address the RED when he heard something. "Come at me yah frickin' wuss!" a voice like his shouted. The BLU dropped his bat in the attempt to swing out his scattergun, but it was in vain as several shots from a pistol met the boy's chest. With a dying cry the Scout keeled over, clutching at the air in front of the wounds before letting Respawn take him, his body landing next to the dazed Roxie. "Alert! The enemy has dropped our Intelligence" the Administrator declared to the RED team.

Ethan dropped his pistol at his side and gazed down at her, his eyes cruel and unforgiving. "Stop drooling and get your ass up!" He snapped, sending a swift kick to her side before running off to deliver their intelligence back to their base. With a pained cough and a groan Roxie slowly and steadily picked herself up, "Surprise..." Her blood ran cold and before she could move agony shot through her as a blade pierced her skin. Blood ran down her back and her mouth was left agape as she silently screamed in bloody murder. The woman fell to her knees and felt life drain from her body. Her mind became blank, and she died to the sound of taunting laughter.

~

Pain, complete and utter AGONY. Her nails clawed at her face as she writhed on the cold floor of the RED Respawn. Her whole body shook under the amount of suffering she was under going. Her mind was in panic and her hands grasped at the source of the pain - her chest. She could not see or hear anything, but she could feel hands picking her up - shaking her. Oh god that only made it worse. She curled up in the persons arms, screaming. Her breathing quickened and her trembling increased. Then her eyes closed, she wasn't doing this, what was going on? She felt more and more hands pinning her to the surface of the floor as she struggled. Her thoughts were racing, was it the men? Was it the poachers, had they found her, were they harming her? A sharp pain in her neck stopped her screaming as Roxie instantly grew weary. Her struggles slowly came to an end and the trembling grew slower. She once again was forced into the darkness.

~

"Will the missy be OK Doc?" Dell asked, his eyes resting on the pale body of the Listener.

"Ze Fraulien vill be OK in a day or so, ze Dummkopf"

Roxie was strapped to the Medic's examination table to stop her from thrashing about. She had come through Respawn in a frenzy, screaming and crying out in what seemed to be indescribable pain. The German had to use anesthetics to calm her down. He knew that the pain wouldn't last long, but he couldn't bear to hear her cries, even if he was the psychopath he is. The double doors to the Medic's infirmary slammed open and Jane Doe followed closely by Spy jogged in, stopping next to her body.

"How in the hell did this happen?" Doe screamed at them, pointing an accusing finger at the Medic who raised his hands in surrender.

"Ze fraulien got killed before ze Respawn serum got into her system, causing a large amount of pain from her death to be carried through to her respawn and be magnified, so she felt the whole pain of her death and more." The Medic explained, sympathy shining in his eyes for the girl. The Spy murmured under his breath and he turned to the Engineer, "She went after ze BLU Scout, non? Didn't Ethan go after him too?" The Engineer nodded and he stroked his chin in confusion, "Well, she died from that Spah, right? Ethan was with her tha whole time. If the lil' miss was injured, wouldn't he have helped 'er?" The Spy's face contorted with anger, "It seems not." With a low growl both the Spy and Engineer walked off to find the Scout.

Soldier watched as the duo exited the infirmary, then he turned back to the girl, "You sure do make a heck of a lot of chaos" he murmured, running a hand across his forehead under his helmet. Jane Doe jolted as a croaked voice broke the silence, "Oi know righ'..."

**Is it just me, or does Ethan hate Roxie? XD Don't worry. He gets his come-uppance soon. **

**So, love interests. I would like suggestions on who the Listener will eventually end up with. I have an idea, yet I would like your thoughts on this before I make any decisions. Either PM me or comment, what ever you like. I would also appreciate the normal reviews as I need to know what I'm doing wrong and right. Roxie has also been going on about her 'father', any body have an idea who it is yet? Its going to be released next chapter, so get ready. **

**Thanks everyone,**

**Aspiring Outcast**


	4. Roxie Who?

**Well, here is the next chapter guys. I like dedicating chapters to people, it brings a smile to their faces. And so, this one is dedicated to my best friend Jake Yates who has stuck by me through thick and thin, and has had to survive many of my 'crazy' and 'omg Abbie what are you doing?' moments. Cheers mate! **

**Disc: I, of course, do not own Team Fortress 2 or any of its characters. The only thing I own here is the plot line and Roxie.**

"Scout?"

Ethan jumped, bat at the ready to fend off any other angry team-mates. He had earlier escaped the wrath of the Engineer and Spy, who was it this time? Stood in the hallway to the Intelligence Room (in which the Scout was pacing back and forth in) was the Sniper, a plain expression on his face. He grip tightened around the handle and he spat out, "You here ta talk 'bout Roxie? Or ta drag me back down there? Cause none of em are gonna happen." The Australian chuckled and shook his head, fixing his hat which had titled slightly to the left, "Oi'm jus' here te talk." Ethan hand stayed clenched firmly to the bat for a few moments before dropping his weapon on the ground in what, to the Sniper, looked like utter shame. "I lost it man, I didn't mean it," Ethan mumbled whilst sitting down in the corner of the intelligence room, "I jus'... I-I lost control and I c-couldn't stop myself." Jack sighed at the boy's nervous stutter and sat next to him, "I know, Oi'm a bit angry at the Sheila m'self mate." Ethan's body shook as he struggled to keep his pride, "O-Oh?"

"Yeah, Roxie killed m' brother" he stated, "The wanker deserved it, but he was still family." Much to the Snipers relief, the boy now seemed less upset and more intrigued with the story the Sniper had to share, "Tell me?" Jack chuckled once more and nodded again, "I'll start with the biggest fact of them all," he paused for dramatic effect, "If it's the righ' Sheila, then she is the daughter of ..." the Australian leaned in close to the boy, whispering in his ear. Ethan's face paled at the words, his eyes widening in shock, "Your kiddin' me!" Jack shook his head, "Nope, now remember, don' say the man's name out loud, Alrigh' mate?" The runner nodded enthusiastically, "What other crap do ya know?" The Sharp-shooters lips curled in what seemed a sinister smirk, "Everything."

-

"Pulse ist gut, breathing ist gut, everything is toll, Fraulien," Friday said, ticking the boxes on his check board as he spoke. Roxie grinned and sat up, but after feeling nausea fly up through her she swallowed and sat back down, holding back a gag. "So, what happened?" She asked, her head swimming with confusion at the previous events. "Vell Listener, after I injected you with ze Respawn serum, you ran off to stop ze BLU who had our intelligence, unfortunately you ended up getting killed by ze Spy and due to ze fact ze serum hadn't settled, you came through Respawn screaming in vhat seemed horrifying agony!" he recalled, a chilling smile upon his face as he mentioned 'agony'. "Okay, but wasn't someone there with me?" she questioned, this time getting up slowly. Medics eyes flashed with anger, "Herr Scout was zhere." Then it all came flooding back to her, the BLU Scout, her on the ground and Ethan just kicking her and not helping at all. "That bloody wanker!" Roxie growled under her breath, reaching up to remove her blindfold. She didn't care about her eyes any more, she had to look that Scout in the eyes as she beat the crap out of him. As expected, the harsh light on her eyes stung immensely like they were burning in their sockets. The Listener hissed in pain but kept her eyes open. It had been, what, 1 year since her eyes saw the sun light that was so happily shining through the windows. Screw keeping her identity hidden, she wasn't going to live behind that black cloth any more.

Friday's very own eyes widened at the girls actions, he looked. Oh lord he LOOKED, she could see him properly. His grayish hair was slightly matted and more of his features became clear as her eyes adjusted. He was wearing a white top with sleeves down to his elbows, with a beige vest and grey-black trousers. His shoes were the ones you would find on a rich man. His lips curled into a smile at her, "Vell, it vas about time you let me zee your eyes." Roxie tilted her head at him, "Huh?"

"Your eyes, Fraulien, vhat vas zhe reason for hiding zhem?"

"Oh, uh..." Roxie hesitated, but went ahead anyway, "Showing m' eyes gives away me identity mate, if my dad wants me to not get hunted down by those bloody poachers, he said oi'd have to hoide them." The Medic nodded, even though he was still puzzled, "Zats it?" Roxie paused, "Not really..."

"Vell, vhat else?"

"Well, for starters I have sensitive eyes. I can see the sunlight but it burns my eyes, I'm kinda like one of those creepy bloodsuckers"

"Zhat is understandable, vhat else?"

The Listener closed her eyes, the stinging sensation from the light finally being too much. Quickly she wrapped the blindfold over her eyes again and focused, "It helps me listen. Oi can 'ear almost anything that happens within a certain distance, which was why Oi was paired with your for m' first battle Doc, so I could hear the people who need you." The Medic's eyes sparkled with interest, and his crazed grin appeared on his face once more, "And Zhat dead spy I saw?"

"The idiot tried talking te me, so I killed him with my knives"

"Fair enough." He chuckled and walked towards a cabinet, "One more question fraulien?" He glanced over to her, And noticing a small nod he continued, "Zhat blindfold is Zcrim material, am I right?"

"That's roight, you can't see me eyes, yet I can see you. Not as well as without the blindfold of course, but it protects m' eyes from the light" she explained. He nodded and opened the cabinet, a small 'aha' came from him as he picked out a small packet of pain pills, "Zhis should help wiz ze pain, now off you go." He handed her the pills and stood back, holding his hand out to her to help her up. She graciously accepted and he pulled her to her feet, "Thank you Friday, I owe you one." He simply nodded and made a 'shoo' gesture with his hands. The woman instantly took her leave, pain pills in tow and marched off to find that son-of-a-bitch Scout.

-

"Too slow, lard-ass!"

"I will break you in half, baby!"

"Oh, I'm sorry did that hurt? Good!"

"I will crush leetle baby!"

"H-hey now, lets not get too hasty, AUUUUGH! He's like a freaking furless bear who hates people!"

Scouts pained screams echoed through the RED base. The Heavy had, after ages of searching, finally found the boy and was in the middle of breaking him in half. Who else was to stumble in, other than the Demoman?

"Fight! Fi-ight!" he cheered, letting out a whoop when Ivan managed to punch the Scout in the face. Ivan seemed to be getting tired of trying to land hits on Ethan much to the Demo-man's dismay, and the youngest took this as a chance to swing his bat into the man's crotch. With a roar of pain and rage, the Heavy lost his concentration. Unfortunately for him, the Scout wasn't done with him yet. With two more whacks to the head and knee's, the giant fell to the runner's feet, tired and beaten. It wasn't long until the Scout ended up on the floor as well, his chest rising and falling quickly as his body shook. He had gotten through that fight using his speed and pure luck; if the Heavy hadn't dropped his guard for that split second then he'd probably be split in half. He sat against the wall as the adrenaline drained from his body, his closing eyes drifting over to the Demo, "I-I suppose you wanna f-fight too?" Tavish could see the boy's arms shaking, "Nae boyo, I jus' wanna chat." The Scout groaned, "What is it with this team and talking?"

The Demo stood in front of the boy, "Do ye like the lass?" Well, that was unexpected. Scout stared at him in disbelief, "What the? No! She's a bitch, she's a freak, she's-" The Demoman cut her off, "Attractive, the lass can defend herself, and by the looks o' it, ye two are made for each other." Ethan shocks his head, "No way! I'd rather date Miss Paulings." Tavish chuckled, "Lies! After all, teh lass 'Paulings is wit' de other scoot."

He stood up, his limbs shaking ever so slightly, "We get into arguments, we fight, we leave each other for dead, and you know, I think we may just hate each other!" A hearty laugh from the Scotsman, "Ye jus' wait boyo, yer like fiah n' rain, yer so against each othe', and yet when ye work together ye can' be stopped." Ethan didn't believe what he was hearing, "You don't know whose 'er dad, do ya, you Cyclops?" Now this, caught the Demoman's attention, and he motioned for him to carry on by taking a long gulp of his scrumpy, "I can' say it, so I'll err, spell it! S-a-x-t-o-n, H-a-l-e." The Scotsman did a spit-take, "What?"

Around the corner, a certain BLU member froze. _So the petite is Monsieur Hale's daughter, hmm_? A slight smirk appeared on his face before he disappeared. _Now this is interesting. _

**There you go, her dad is the one and only Saxton Hale. Oh! And whats this I see? Is a tiny love interest peeping out between Roxie and Ethan? Who knows.**

**A new chapter will be up before 30th March, as I am going on holiday for three weeks. **

**As for now, Bye!**

**Aspiring Outcast**


	5. Bound Together

**Here it is! The last chappie before my holiday. If you're lucky, I may update it once more with a flashback of when Roxie killed Daniel, the Snipers brother, or something else. Enjoy.**

**Jack: I'm still mad about that...  
>Roxie: Heh heh, I'm sorry?<br>Ethan: My ass is she.  
>Spy: You know, zou make it seem like ze world revolves around your ass when you say Zhat.<br>Dell: Damn it fellas, let's just get on with the damned story!**

**Disc: I do not own any of the characters from TF2, I only own Roxie, Daniel, the Predators and the plot.**

**/**  
><em><br>"Wait what?"_

_The BLU Team stood in front of their Spy, mouths agape at the news. "Now Spoi, are ye sure?" The Sniper asked, doubt in his eyes._

_"I am bushman, and it seems your counterpart has information."_

_The BLU Soldier, Conrad Black, nodded at the Spy, "We must know more, as your leader I demand you get out there and do what you have to do to get that Sniper, is that understood Roland?"_

_Roland Lecanu, the BLU Spy, nodded with a smirk, "Of course."  
><em>  
><strong>**

It was midnight and the RED base was silent apart from the light snoring from room number seven -Heavy's room. All until, "WHAT?" a loud voice boomed through the base. Several groans came from numerous rooms. "Go teh sleep ye wanker!" a low voice from the Snipers room called out. Another voice quickly followed in the protest, "Um hello, tryin' ta get m' beauty sleep here?" Scout complained. A feminine giggle sounded from Roxie's room, "Try all ya might Ethan, it ain't gonna change ya." Laughter from various rooms quickly filled in the silence, all until heavy foot steps and a low growl from in the corridor stopped them, "Attention Maggots! We are receiving a message from the Administrator." Once again an awkward silence fell over the base.

"Ooh SHIT"

"Evereh man fo'imself!"

"That counts me an' Scout out!"

"Shut up, ya friggin' brainless Aussie"

"Don' go disrespectin' Aussies, ya lil' ankle biter!"

"Would everyone kindly be quiet and get dressed. Merde."

The RED Team fell into the mess hall one by one, first Spy and Soldier followed by Sniper and Medic, then Heavy and Engineer and Pyro, and then shortly after, a bickering Scout and Roxie. Burns wasted no time in sending a slap to the back of their heads to shut them up. Roxie growled and looked forward, stood in front of the mercenaries was a young man, maybe in his late twenties. He was dressed in a long black over-coat, big thick glasses and grey trousers. Her eyes narrowed at a small screen tied to the man's chest. After a few moments the screen buzzed to life and the clear image of the Administrator came up of the mini-TV. "Good Evening Lady and Gentlemen, I see that you have not shot the messager, oh good" She stated, an almost pleased smile on her frail face. A low murmur from the Soldier followed her statement. "How have you been Listener? Any trouble fitting in?" Her smile disappeared when she saw her hesitating, "Roxie?" The Listener stammered out her next sentence,  
>"Ok, Oi've had a lil' bit a trouble with Ethan over there, but that's about it." With a low 'hm' the older woman turned her attention to the Scout, "I will see that it will be dealt with," she turned her head towards Friday, "A word?" The Medic nodded and ushered the others out of the room. As they left the German shut the door behind them. As expected the Scout's voice was the first to be heard, "What the hell is your problem?" Roxie scoffed and turned to him, "MY problem? What about YOUR problem? What kind of sick twisted idiot leaves an injured team mate on the battlefield?"<p>

"One that's sick'a that persons crap, that's who!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Then why don' we just settle it in a fight?" An almost animalistic growl came from the cornet of the room, "You two are despicable. We are all a team so get your act together or I'll make you!" The Spy shouted, his hands curled tightly into fists almost like to get rid of his agitation. "I'd like ta see ya try you shapeshiftin' rat!" The Scout taunted, lightly jogging on the spot to warm up. The Spy glared at the Scout, "Consider this a favor!" Within a flash, the Spy had grabbed Roxie's and Ethan's hands and pressed a cold metal object around it. As he stepped away with a smirk on his face, the two young adults stared down at their wrists in disbelief. There, holding them bound together was a pair of silver handcuffs.

"What the-"

"Huh?"

A few heart chuckles came from the group of spectators whom had gathered around them, watching them as they fruitlessly pulled at the hand cuffs and growled in rage. The door to the mess hall opened and the messager walked out, followed closely by the Medic. A pleased smirk was on the Administrators face as she gazed upon the handcuffs, "You almost read my mind. I will now take my leave, Friday, explain the plan and everybody be ready for tomorrows battle. I will contact you again soon." The Screen switched off and the Messager strode away from the group. "Vell frauliens," the medic said, addressing the Scout and Listener who were busy trying to remove the handcuffs, "You vill be working together in ze next battle, and you VILL not complain. You zwei need to learn how to vork together. Zhat is all." The two mercenaries groaned and continued tugging at the bindings.

"This sucks on ice!"

"For the first time, I actually agree with you."

The group departed, all deciding that it was no use going back to sleep, and so they set off to get ready for the coming battle.

Five and a half hours later, it was time for the next battle. They lined up at the door of the spawn where each team would start, and waited either patiently or in anticipation for the gates to open.

_Thirty Seconds to the start of the mission!_

The RED Scout grinned and was about to reach for his weapon when his hand was tugged away from his bag as Roxie went for hers too. "Hey, sweet cheeks, get my bat for me?" he asked, acting against his decision to demand it. The girl supposedly looked at him from behind the black material and nodded, "Foine." The girl quickly zipped his bag open and handed him his bat. A low chuckled caught their attention, "See? A few hours in the handcuffs and you have already improved!" They glared at the Frenchman, and to the shock of almost everyone, they both said, "You're so dead when I'm out of these!" Ethan and Roxie eyed each other before looking away and staring at the gate before them. A thought suddenly sprung to the woman's mind, "Hey Spy, what's your name?" The RED team all looked towards the Spy for an answer, "My name, Mademoiselle, is Fabien." She smiled and nodded, "It's a nice name." Fabien returned the smile, "Merci."

_Five, four, three, two... One!_

The alarm sounded and the runner sprinted off, only to be pulled back by Roxie, "Uh, hello? Earth to Listener, we have ta' go get their Intel before they set up! Now let's go!" She shook her head and was about to respond when she froze, "Footsteps, they're quick, like yours," she started, standing still, "Behind you, mate! Coming up fast!" The Scout swung around - taking Roxie with him, his bat in his free hand. Surely enough the BLU Scout came running around the corner from the battlements, a clean bullet hole through his shoulder rendering his left arm unusable. Even though in his current condition, the sight before him of the two mercenaries bound together made him stop in his place. Bad move. Ethan sprang towards the other boy and landed a hit across his head, knocking the BLU to the ground. Roxie was one step ahead of her team mate and flicked a knife between her opponent's eyes. With the knife now imbedded in his head, the Scout let out a dying scream as Respawn took him away. Roxie shook her head at the BLU and turned her attention towards the boy, her weak eyes widening at his grin, "Good call, with the hearin' an' all." She shrugged and started jogging off with the scout towards the battlefield, "Just doin' my job."

The two had found it easy to cross the bridge as most of the BLU's had either been sent to respawn or were in one of the bases doing god knows what. The Listener slowly zoned out as she began to think of a battle strategy, a fool proof one, which would get them past the defenses and out of the base with the enemy Intel. They'd need Friday and their Spy. First they would find the sentries weak point and get the spy to sap the sentry temporarily whilst they run past, and no doubt there would be another sentry in the Intelligence room, and that's where Medic would come in. He would pop uber just as-

"So, Saxton Hale's ya dad right?"

Wait, what? Roxie gasped and her head turned towards him, "Huh? How, what, where?" The Scout grinned, resting his bat on his shoulder, "Snipes told me."

"How the bloody hell did he know?"

"Ya know that Predator guy ya killed of?"

"I have a bad feelin' about this..."

"It was his brotha."

The Listener groaned and placed a hand over her already covered eyes, "So, Snipes is Jack Mundy, huh? That means they are going ta find me."

"Whoa, whoa whoa! Who?"

"The Predator gang. I'll tell ya later, OK? Now less talk, more walk." Well, Ethan had to agree with that. But there was still one question he really wanted answered. "Why did ya kill 'im?" Roxie sighed again, "Listen, I'll tell you later ok?"

"Tell me now."

"No, now be quiet! I can't hear anything over your voice!"

"Tell me!"

"Be quiet!

"Tell me~"

"Will you shut up!"

"No way! La la la la la la la la la!"

Roxie growled as the Scout started to sing 'I'm walking on sunshine' as loud as he possibly could. Her eyes narrowed, he was going to get them both killed with his singing. For all she knew, there would be a sentry right around the corner.

_Beep Beep!  
><em>  
>Oh SHIT. Acting before she thought, Roxie pulled the boy behind cover, leaving her at the mercy of the machine. The Level One Sentry spun around and shot. Bullets flew from it and imbedded into her legs and waist. One, two, and three- She found herself flying back from the force of a pull, and landed on the floor beside the Scout, thick blood flowing from her agonizing wounds. "Oh shit Roxie!" Ethan cried, propping her up against the wall, applying pressure to the bullet holes in her waist and kneecap. She had been lucky. Had she not been pulled back by the Scout, then another bullet would have been lodged in her chest. Consciousness was already starting to slip from her as she lost blood. "Medic! Doc, c'mon man!" Ethan yelled out frantically. "I'm coming!" a voice in the distance replied, obviously not being heard by the scout as he continued to holler, his eyes darting from her fresh blood on the floor to her face to the wounds. Roxie could swear that she felt tears rolling down her face. She didn't blame herself, being shot hurt. Her face contorted into agony as he applied more pressure. A soft whooshing sound came into ear shot and she whimpered, "Scout, it's the-" But it was too late. She watched in horror as a knife was plunged into the runners back and he collapsed next to her, dead.<p>

"Weren't you supposed to be good at dodging?" The BLU Spy taunted, before turning his attention to the woman. "Ahh, Donc, vous êtes le seul des Predators sont après, hmm?" He laughed, taking his knife from the boys body as it disappeared, "Dommage, on pourrait d'été de grands amis." He tucked a hair behind her ear before plunging the knife into the bullet wound in her leg. Roxie screamed out, tears flowing freely from her eyes, "Get off me, y-you f-frog!" He laughed darkly as he twisted the knife, watching her scream even more. Suddenly, angry shouts came from around the corner as a newly respawned RED Scout and Medic charged towards the Spy. The Frenchman stepped away from her whilst gripping his knife, "We will meet again, ma beauté peu peur." He disappeared just as the two came into sight. Her vision was already going black as her body shuddered, "Thanks for c-comin' back..." With that, all consciousness left her and she gave into the darkness.

_You failed..._

**/**

The Sniper growled as he climbed up to his Sniping tower. He had lost his kukri to the sewers after chasing that darned BLU Spy that had gone and caused trouble with Roxie and Ethan, and so he felt like he was missing a piece of his own heart. Many Snipers could part with their kukri over anything, but not Jack. To him, nothing was more important to him than that knife which had saved him many-a trip to the Respawn from the dreaded BLU Spy. He pulled himself up into the tower and sat against the wall, murmuring to himself. That BLU was tricky like a true spy. You never knew where or 'who' he was, he could be in front of you and then gone within a few seconds, and no matter what - the Spy always seemed to know where Jack was sniping from. Which, to put it bluntly, pissed him off. Jack slowly got to his feet and strode over to the place his beloved Kukri normally rested; gingerly stroking the spot like the blade was there. He could hide in the best place on the battlefield, and the BLU would always be waiting for him. He was a no-good, backstabbing, son of a- "_Salut bushman_". An arm wrapped around the Australian's chest, pinning his arms to his side whilst a gloved hand pressed a thick material over his mouth and nose. Jack's eyes flew wide with panic and anger and he instantly held his breath. Although the Sniper struggled and thrashed about, the intruders arm kept a good hold of him. He couldn't hold his breath much longer, he couldn't! He had to... He drew a deep breath and he felt the chloroform take effect almost immediately. A few words made their way out of his mouth, "B-bloody... Spook", and with that, Jack fell limp in the arms of the BLU Spy.

**/**

**Oh how mean of me, leaving you on a cliff hanger. Oh well, you will survive. In your reviews, feel free to ask questions to me or the characters. In the chapter following I will be sure to answer them at the start.**

**As for now - see you soon!  
>Aspiring Outcast x<strong>


	6. Back In The Day

**What's all this? A new chapter so soon? Epic. I worked on this chapter all night until 2 am, so hopefully it's good enough. No comments for the last chapter still, but oh well. Please keep the comments rolling in, I need some motivation you know. It's the shortest chapter I've wrote, but it gets the story in the right direction. :) Enjoy**

/

Roxie awoke to the familiar sight of pure white walls, plastered with posters of the Human anatomy and the nerves. Several doves cooed and fluttered about, trying to pick the best spot upon which to perch. Cupboards were stacked up against the wall, and filled with various Medical equipment. She noticed a small weight on her stomach and looked down her body to see a plump dove sat comfortably on her. Well, this is awkward, she thought as she stared down at the bird. "Ach! Archimedes, nein!" A voice with an unmistakable German accent scolded. With a sheepish look in its eye the dove flew away to join to the others in the corner of the room. "Fraulien? You are avake, Ja?" The Medic asked as he strode to her side, fixing his glasses. "Yeah, Oi'm fine. Care to explain what I missed out on Doc?" She asked, holding her head as a headache made itself known. The man's eyes rolled back as he recalled the events of the previous day. "You remember zat Sentry, Ja? Vell, you lost consciousness after ve got to you, and let's just zay zhat ze Respawn didn't pick you up. Vhich ist worrying. It should have picked you up, und yet it didn't," He made eye-contact with the young woman, his left hand making his way towards his chin to stroke it as he remained deep in thought, "Herr Scout carried you to mein infirmary und then went back to battle, whilst I kept an eye on you."

Roxie's head fell, why hadn't Respawn picked her up? She had the injection, so why isn't it working. Her mind froze on an important fact, because Respawn wouldn't have picked her up, her heart-beat quickened. She would have dyed permanently. "You can thank Herr Scout for saving your life," Friday stated before returning to his work, "As soon as you think you are strong enough, you may go zee him und ze others." The Listener nodded and rested her head against the small pillow on the grey bed she was lying on. The fact still rang in her thoughts and she gulped. Without the Scout, she wouldn't have survived. He had saved her life, like she had saved her fathers. Slowly, easily, she slipped into a dream.

_... One month before ..._

"Didja see that Roxie? That 'Roo didn't stand a chance!" The Giant of a man bellowed as he flexed his abnormally big muscles. "Yeah Oi saw it Dad! 'ow could Oi not?" The woman called back. It was a Wednesday, and for the two Hale family members, it was hunting day. Dressed in her orange crop top and denim shorts, Roxie had never felt happier. "Your turn now Sheila, go for that coyote in the distance!" Saxton said as he pointed at the animal. She squinted through the blindfold, not being able to see the animal. She shook her head, "It's too far away Dad, oi can't see it." He chuckled and slapped his hand on her back, "Roxie, what do Oi keep tellin' ye?" She bit her lip as she struggled to remember, "Uhh..." He shook his head and stood back, "Don't see it, listen for it. Listen to the sound of the Outback and figure out where ya need ta throw!"

She nodded and closed her eyes. She ears strained to listen to the noises. She could hear eagles in the distance, the hissing of a nearby Rattlesnake that her father was no doubt getting rid of, she could hear the wind flowing through her hair... The soft clink of metal? She frowned and focused. It was far away, but yet in earshot. She slowly turned her body towards the sound and opened her eyes. She sound was coming from a bush, a blurry bush to Roxie. She looked back at her dad who was busy pissing off the Rattlesnake and her heart plummeted. There, moving its way up the Australians back was a red-colored dot which belonged to a Sniping rifle.

"DAD! MOVE!" She shrieked, moving to push her father out the way. The man stumbled by her push but didn't move too far. It was enough though. The bullet whizzed past the man's head and almost came into contact with Roxie's, missing by a few millimeters. A quiet curse from the bush reached her ears and she grinned. Slipping her hand into her pocket she grabbed her prized throwing knife, and threw it towards the bush. She watched in interest as it spiraled towards it and disappeared behind the leaves. A pained cry called out and that was all it took for the Hale's to run towards it. Saxton was the first to reach it and thrust his hand inside, pulling a tall, scrawny man out from the bush. His angry eyes darted from side to side until focusing on the girl as she approached. The knife had found its way into his chest. It wasn't far from the heart and so, all in all, a good shot. Roxie growled and knelt down at the man's side.

"Who are ya? What do ye want?" She demanded as she hovered her hand around the throwing knife. "Y-ya really wanna know? A'ight then..." The man let out a pained cough before continuing, "I'm Daniel Mundy, l-leader of the Predators. I-I'm here... To... Snipe down h-hale..." Saxton glared him, "Wrong mate, ya were tha leader of that bloody gang." On cue, Roxie ripped out the knife and drew it across the man's throat. With a sickening gurgle, the man drew his last breath as he dyed. A Radio on the corpse's side crackled and a voice called through, "Red Alpha, is the target terminated? Over." Roxie picked up the radio and held it near her mouth, "Negatory, Red Alpha has been terminated, Over." A few moments of silence came until the voice spoke again, "Who is this?" Roxie's eyes went cold, "Roxie Hale, if ya ever try hurting m' family again, Oi will hunt you down and end ya myself."

"I'm afraid you have it all wrong Miss Hale."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Because it is you who is now being hunted."

The Radio sent out a high pitched note before loosing the signal, leaving the two Australians in the awkward silence.

_... Back at the base ...  
><em>  
>Ethan growled as he paced back and forth in front of the doors which led to the infirmary. He hadn't slept at all since the battle; he was too worried, too guilty. He had gotten hurt because he had refused to shut his damn trap. He stopped at the wall and brought his head into connection with it forcefully. She had gotten hurt, because of him. She had saved him from the sentry, and got shot herself. He turned around and slid down the wall. He could be quite a dick sometimes, but that was just him. Ethan sighed and lowered his head in a restless slumber. "Vhat are you doing here Herr Scout?" A voice asked, making the runner jump. "Oh, uh, waiting for her I guess?" He replied, scratching the back of his head. "She ist sleeping, und I too am retiring for ze night, I suggest Zhat you do the same," he stated, shutting the door to the infirmary after him. "Yea', OK Doc," the Scout said, getting up and stretching his arms to his side. "Gut night, Dummkopf," Medic nodded as he walked away.<p>

As soon as he disappeared around the corner Ethan rushed into the Infirmary. He flicked a lamp light on so he wouldn't wake her up and walked over to her side. Looking down at her form, he could help but notice how peaceful she looked. Her hands were lightly grasping the thin quilt covers that were covering her. It was then that he noticed that she was shivering. He turned around and tip-toed over to the store room. As he opened the door a wave of heat rushed over him and he sighed, searching in the darkness for a blanket. His finger tip brushed the edges of one and he pulled. The warm blanket fell at his sides and he continued to take it back to the woman. Carefully, Ethan placed the blanket over her and in her sleep she sighed at the sudden, yet pleasurable change in temperature. Job done, he smiled. The Bostonian looked down at her and leaned forward, pecking her cheek. He stepped back and panicked as he thought he would have woken her up. Luckily she continued in her slumber. Ethan grinned in triumph and walked to his room to get some well deserved sleep. Turning off the lamp and shutting the door behind him he ran off. Whilst back in the Infirmary, Roxie's lips curled into a warm smile.

/

"We're only going to ask once Slick, tell us everything you know about the girl." The BLU Engineer, Keith Myron, snapped. Under the dim light of the dark prison cell, the captured RED chuckled darkly in his chains, "Well that's good ain't it mate? 'Cause that means I'm only gonna hafta let ye down once." An excited squeak from the doorway caught the Snipers attention, "Vell then, I just vant you to know, zat zis next procedure vill be excruciating!"

The sadistic BLU Medic, Peter Falk giggled. The Sniper snorted, "Do your worst, medicine woman!" Another high-pitched giggle, "I thought you'd never ask!" Many hands grabbed at him and lifted him up. No matter how hard he struggled or snapped at the hands, it didn't help. He found himself being secured to an examination table. "Oohh, vhere to start! Ze chest, ze legs, the arms!" The Medic bounced on the spot in a fit of madness, clapping his hands in anticipation. The mad-doctor lifted up a small gadget, "HOW ABOUT EVERYWHERE?" He laughed manically as he pressed the end to the Snipers chest and flicked a button.

What seemed like electricity surged through the Snipers body and he screamed in excruciating pain. The cloaked BLU Spy grimaced at the Sadistic nature of their medic and was instantly glad he wasn't the RED in this current predicament. He knew that the Australian would be tough to break, but if he'd push the right buttons then it would be easy to get the answers. He shuddered as the Medic giggled like a hyperactive child and turned his attention to the convulsing Sniper. _Let the games begin, bushman.  
><em>

**There we go. I'll be giving it a rest now until my Holiday is over. Please do comment - I need some criticism on the pros and cons. Thank you!**

**Aspiring Outcast x**


	7. Calamity

**Hello again! Here is your new chapter. Right how are we all?**

**Ethan: Get on with it!**

**Burns: -whacks him around the head- Thnnn! Mmnd yrr mnnrs.**

**Jane Doe: Nothing like a little discipline! That reminds me of the time I got this medal…**

**A.O: MOVING ON!**

**Disc – I do not own Team Fortress 2, never have and unfortunately never will. The only thing I own here is Roxie, the bad guys and the PLOT. Thank you and enjoy.**

**EDIT: **

**Please note I wrote this chapter three days ago; only today did I read the Brilliant short 'SHUT UP!' therefore I did not copy his/her idea. It just proves that great minds think alike. **

The tall man nodded at the BLU Sniper, "I will be back as soon as possible with the required item." The Australian smirked, "Thanks mate." The man quickly took to the exit, leaving the two Snipers in the room alone. Jack had sweat covering most of his body and was shaking from the intense torture he had been through. He had held together, and he was proud of the fact that no information had slipped past his bleeding lips. They had tried almost everything, and since they had no acid left to burn his skin with, they had just resorted to their very last option. "Y'know, if ya jus' tell me ya could be home free," The BLU Sniper stated, staring down at the beaten man. Jack's mouth worked for a moment before he spat blood and saliva in the man's face. The spit landed directly between Lee's eyes, "Boom, headshot," he said with a cheeky yet worn grin on his face. Lee growled and raised his fist, bringing it down on the man cheek with force. Jack's head was thrown to the side, and with a faint "Wanka..." he blacked out. Fifteen minutes of complete, awkward silence and the door swung open, the tall man standing proud in the door way. "I have it, now use it wisely, got it?" he said, his voice gravely. A box was placed in the Sniper's hands and he nodded, "Got it." The tall man turned and walked off into the cold night air. Lee turned around to face the unconscious man, "You shoulda jus' told us mate." His eyes were dull with somewhat sympathy for his counter part as he opened the box.

~

The mess hall was quiet apart from the off sounds of eating and cutlery clinking together. Everybody, it seemed, apart from the Engineer and Sniper. "So, has anyone seen Jack lately?" Fabien asked, his eyes scanning the crow of shaking heads. "He ist probably hunting or zomezhing like zhat," Friday murmured. "I don' know, by the looks of it, it's not the kinda night for huntin'" Roxie disagreed, looking out the window. Suddenly the doors burst open and Dell Conagher ran in. "We gotta problem!" The Engineer yelled at the top of his voice. Almost clear lines were running down the Texans face and his cheeks were flushed as if he had been crying. Roxie stood up, "What's wrong?" Jane Doe joined her, "Is the base on fire again?" he asked whilst giving an accusing stare at Burns, who shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Say what is wrong, leetle man!" Ivan shouted at him. "You guys gotta follow me NOW!" He said as he hurried back out the doors. The other members of RED shared glances before pursuing the Engineer.

Naturally, Ethan was the one who caught up the quickest, followed by Roxie and Friday and the others. The Engineer had lead them to the Snipers tower, where a dark red dot was on the floor at the bottom of the ladder. Ethan snorted, "That's it? It's probably from his knife ya dumb ass!" Roxie clipped him around his ear, "He's right, but there's something really wrong here." Dell nodded and looked up, "C'mon fellas." He started climbing when quickly, followed by Roxie and Ethan. On the way up Ethan looked at Roxie and grinned at what he saw. He lost himself and chuckled, but a boot slammed into his face to stop him. "Stop lookin' at m' ass!" Roxie hissed as she reached the top of the ladder. She peered into the Tower and gasped. The place was a complete mess, the windows were smashed, jars were broken on the floor, and the middle of it all was the Sniper's hat.

Slowly she walked into the room ignoring the glass underneath her boots. She made her way towards the hat and daintily picked it up. Curses from behind her signaled that everyone apart from heavy (who was waiting on the ground) had made it to the top. Roxie brought the hat to her nose and sniffed. Though she had a really bad sense of smell, the scent of cigarette smoke still caught her attention. "It smells of cigarettes, a Spy has been here," she said, dropping the hat at her side. "I haven't been in here, zo don't look at moi" Fabien said as he took a puff of his cigarette. Muffled cries from Burns made the team turn around.

Tavish eyed the RED member and his mouth opened into an understanding 'Ohhh...' as he nodded, "Theh boyo says dat de BLU Spae musta taken 'im." The Engineer nodded, drying his tears, "But why?" he asked, his sadness now pure rage as his fists clenched. Ethan's eyes widened, "Because he knows about Roxie..." he mumbled loud enough for them to hear. Roxie's heart plummeted, so the Sniper had been taken... Because of her? She turned and walked towards the ladder, then froze- her eyes fixed on one point in the distance. She tore her blindfold off and hissed at the light yet her eyes were still struggling to focus on the point. Jane Doe marched to her side and looked out across the base. He could see the top of it, the bridge, the entrance to the BLU Base and the entrance to their own base. "What are you looking at Private?" He yelled down her ear, making her flinch and clasp her hand over her ear in pain. She pointed at where she was looking and Jane lifted his helmet up to get a good view. Soon enough Dell pushed him out the way and looked himself, "What in tarnation! Mundy!" He yelled at the passed out figure in front of their base. The Engineer looked down at the waiting Giant, "Heavy! Catch me!" he shouted at him. The team watched as the Texan jumped, screaming on the way down, and was caught by Ivan who promptly set him on the ground. It took a moment for him to get over his daze, but as soon as he had the man sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him to his obviously wounded friend. Roxie was the next to jump, "Swing me towards the base when you catch me!" she screamed as she fell. The man nodded and did so, sending the woman flying in the same direction the Engineer had run. As she neared the ground, she tucked herself into a roll and got to her feet quickly after, Roxie then too set off toward the Sniper.

The Medic followed as well then Soldier who went feet first, Pyro who preformed a cannon ball, Demoman who fell out of the tower. The Scout stared at Fabien who adjusted his tie and started to descend the ladder. Ethan rolled his eyes and kicked the French man in the face, who cursed and fell backwards towards the Heavy. Ethan dove off the edge afterwards, "Hey-hey look I'm flyin'!" he cheered before he was caught by Ivan. Fabien death stared Ethan as the boy was dropped next to him, "Vous faites cela à nouveau, et vous ne vivrez pas pour voir un autre lever de soleil!" he spat in the boys face. Ethan smirked, "Vous pouvez essayer." The Spy's jaw dropped at him and the runner walked off, "I'm not as dumb as ya think, idiot."

By the time Roxie arrived at the scene, to her surprise the Texan was cradling the man. He didn't look up as she dropped to her knees in front of Jack. Her green, uncovered eyes roamed his beaten body with pity and guilt. The man's wrists were bruised and slightly burned, but not as badly as his upper right arm. His lips were cut and blood trickled down his face from a fresh gash on his forehead. The wound didn't look very deep, but Roxie knew it'd leave a scar. She noticed that his top and jacket were missing, which revealed even more painful-looking burns and cuts which had been inflicted by the enemy team. His skin was turning pale, and when she tried to look at the Snipers eyes, she almost gagged at the sight. A long, thin line from a sharp knife was drawn across them, leaving the eyes cut in half and pouring blood and fluids. She couldn't take the sight and turned around, putting her blindfold back on. The sound of hitched, pained breathing reached her ears and so did the sound of footsteps. "Auf dem Weg, schnell! Ich will ihn sehen!" Friday ordered, falling next to the man. He pried Jack from Dell's blood covered arms and like Roxie had, ran his eyes over Jack's wounds. She took a deep breath and walked off, not being able to see the Australians state any more. Her team mates ran past her. But then again, they were never her team mates. She was here to be protected, they didn't know that, or did they?

The familiar blur shot past her, and she shook her head as Ethan turned around to her, "Leave me alone Ethan." The boy raised his eyebrow, "Huh? Wha's up sweet cheeks?" She sighed, "I'm bloody responsible for what has happened t' Jack…" The Scout gulped, not having a clue what to say. "How bad is he?" they turned around to the new voice – Fabien. "Go see for y'self," Roxie nodded her goodbye at them and started her return to her room. The Spy looked at the Scout, "Go after her, the Sniper has got more than enough help." Ethan silently thanked the man and ran after the Listener.

"Roxie! Wait!" Ethan yelled after the girl as he ran to her side, "Where ya goin' ta go?" She shrugged and continued walking, "Away from here. No one was meant ta get hurt. Not because of me!" Confusion shattered the boy's concentration, "Whys it your fault? You did noth-" The girl immediately stopped and span around, "Yes it is ya bloody idiot! Why do ya think they took 'im, huh?" Ethan took a step back, "The douche bags wanted information, why else?" She growled, "If they wanted information, they would'a taken Spy or Soldier! Theh only thing Jack knows is about me!" His eyes narrowed, "How's ya know that?" To his surprise, she ripped her blindfold from her head and stared into his eyes, "Because before oi came here, I had ta check everyone's back ground information. Sniper was never told anything about theh Intel, or the base. It's by chance that 'e knew about me," her intense stare was still there as she narrowed her emerald eyes "And now you've seen m' eyes, you should know… that…" She drifted off. "That what, Rox?" He asked, his tone softening. Slowly, steadily, they got closer to each other. "That.. that… you're a complete n' utter asshole," she stated with a cocky grin. He recoiled in shock, OK, he didn't expect that, "What the fuck, you bit-" He started. "Oh shut up, _Flash_~" she purred, before he could take another breath she closed the gap between her lips and his, and kissed him with passion as her eyes closed. Ethan's eyes shot wide open, but soon he succumbed to the girl's love and his eyes fell closed as well. His arms and hands soon got a life of their own as they brushed her arms and got a faint grip on the Listeners hips. Instinctively he deepened the kiss and after ten seconds they broke apart, gasping lightly for breath and looking into each others eyes with a love struck expression. With a slight grin she whispered in his ears, "Now we're equal." He chuckled lightly and took her into another kiss to which she gladly accepted.

In the doorway, a smirking Spy and Soldier watched the new lovers and shook their heads at them before walking away to leave them to their own devices.

**Well, there you go folks! Ethan and Roxie, the new lovers. Hope you're happy, I really enjoyed writing this. Thanks to all the reviewers, new chapter will be up soon. **

**Aspiring Outcast x**


	8. Trouble With Jack

Hello again. I'm back with yet another chapter of The Hunted. Thank you to all the reviewers, the praise was highly brilliant and got me back into writing quicker than normal. I'm glad you all liked the end; it's normally not my kind of thing, the mushy kind of stuff. But I figured you guys would have liked it so I made it happen.

Ethan: -scratches back of head sheepishly- It wasn't that bad, was it?  
>Roxie: Now tha' I think 'bout it mate, it really was mushy…<br>Friday: Vat are you zwei on about, hmm?  
>Fabien: -laughs heartily- Oh, if only you knew…<p>

Disc; I do not own Team Fortress 2 or any of its characters. The only thing here that is mine is the plot, Roxie and the bad guys. And! The new character is mine as well (hurr durr).

/

It was winter in England, and in a place called Burntwood, a girl sat there on the golden-brown, wooden bench in the middle of the Park. The grass around her was a lush green, yet this color was painted in an ever-growing White from the crisp, falling snowflakes. The girl was clad in a green vest top with a long black over coat. Her jeans were a dark blue with faded patches on her upper thigh. A silvery dragon belt was circling her waist like it was chasing its tail. Her eyes were a surprisingly pale blue, which was a more subtle feature unlike her boyish hair cut that was as black as a Raven's feathers. She easily drew attention to herself from passers-by, who only stopped and stared at the rather strange fifteen year old. She sighed, followed by a short shiver from the increasing cold and as the teenager stood, the staring bystanders scurried away like they were scared that she would hurt them in some way or form. A soft chuckle escaped from her pink lips as she watched them flee, she knew she wouldn't hurt them, not unless someone hired her to anyway, for Abigail was nothing but a simple gun-for-hire with a unique ability when it came to her senses. Abigail had extraordinary sight, and she as well as her family knew it. She smiled as she thought about her family; Abigail had a younger sister and an older brother, Annabelle and Robson. The three of them together used to create such trouble for their Mother. Ah yes - her Mother. She was the sweetest person Abigail had ever known. Her Mother, Jennifer, was a hard-working house wife that was normally always happy. Not a single bad thing had ever made her frown, all apart from when she wasn't born but that wasn't the point. And then her father, or step-father really, since Abigail's real dad got her mom pregnant and then immediately left, when they were still married. The woman shook her head, her real had been pronounced dead by the police when they found his body somewhere in Texas for some reason. She closed her eyes when she remembered the horrible picture of her father; his body had had multiple bullet wounds all over it, along with stab wounds and bruises. What ever happened to him was history; her step-father was all that mattered now. He was Paul Robinson, and he and her mom were to be getting married the next year. Paul was English, so that's why they moved to England. She thought it was nice, that it was a change of scenery but her siblings seemed to prefer America. Her train of thought snapped when a certain man caught her attention.

Though he was fair away, she simply concentrated and he became extremely clear. He was walking with a limp, a black leather jacket was tied around his hip and his jeans did not do anything to support his rather large belly. So seeing him topless was not a very nice sight. Her eyes searched his body with a slight hint of disgust as she looked for that one scar that would identify him as her next target. The large white line on his shoulder blade made it clear that the man was indeed her target and she set to work. Abigail started to walk in the opposite direction to the man and reached at tree with its leaves higher up than usual. Looking back, she checked that her target was still directly behind her and removed her fully loaded, silenced pistol from her trouser pocket. After checking that the hammer was down and it was ready to fire, Abigail sprang at the tree and launched herself upwards, her legs linked around the high up branch, automatically focusing on the target as she hung upside down and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew from the gun and across the space between Predator and Prey, her target didn't even see it coming as the bullet was cleanly lodged in the man's forehead, thus ending his life. Abigail pulled herself into the tree and from behind the full leaves and snow, she observed the scene. There was no shocked member of the public calling the police, no screaming lady, no crying babies, no nothing. She felt herself smile. A brilliant kill! As she dropped to the ground and ran to the body, the new layer of snow crunching underneath her trainers. The snow would cover up her tracks, so she wouldn't have to worry about that. Abigail also made sure to put her gloves on as she didn't want any fingerprints getting on anything at all that belonged to the target.

The teenager moved quickly, picking the corpse up and laying it on a nearby bench like he would be sleeping. Blood was already leaking from the bullet hole and she was careful no blood was spilt on the ground. She then laid a newspaper over the man's eyes, but not before wiping the thick blood away with a piece of cloth from her house. She stepped back ad got as far away from the body as possible, letting the snow cover up her foot prints before moving away. "A spectacular kill, Abigail," a voice called out from behind her. She swore and he eyes widened as she turned around. A girl dressed in purple not much older than her was talking to her, like killing a man before her eyes was something you would see everyday. "My name is Miss Paulings, and I'm very sure your skills would be, uh, appreciated in our company," The girl said, approaching Abigail. "What company?" She asked with growing curiosity, but she never let down her caution. Abigail's voice was rich with a light American Accent. The girl smiled, "It's better to ask your questions to my boss, she will explain fully about the company, all that I can tell you now is, taking this card," she stated, holding out a strip of paper to me, "And calling the number will be the best decision you could possibly make." With a small frown Abigail accepted the card; the girl then nodded and started to walk away from the scene. Soon enough, 'Miss Paulings' was gone as the gun-for-hire started searching for the nearest Phone box. It took her two minutes to find it, and put in the number of the eggshell white contact card. Abigail held the phone to her ear a she listened, the receiving end shortly and swiftly picking up, but before she could say anything, she was interrupted. "Ah, Abigail, are you ready to learn about the company, or are you just here to waste my time?" A croaky old voice questioned her. "I'm here to learn," she replied with a slightly annoyed huff. The woman on the other end chuckled darkly, "Well then, listen closely, Miss Doe."

/

Friday sighed as he watched over the Sniper. His wounds had been precise, yet fixable using his Medi-gun. The one injury that had stuck out in the Germans mind was the rather large cut across the man's eyes. It was extraordinary to watch as the eye fixed itself and the cut became no more than a White line. The same thing happened with the gash, all in all it was easy to mend the physical damage the BLU's had inflicted. But the mental trauma on the other hand, would be extremely difficult and take quite a long time to over come. The German ran a hand over his brow to wipe the sweat from it. He watched the Sniper like a hawk would its prey, and shook his head when he realized Jack was shivering. It was probably from the torture, but just in case it was because of the cold, Friday stood up from his office chair to fetch a blanket, but not before checking the clock on the wall, it was almost midnight, and tomorrow they were being moved to Dustbowl The room grey silent as Friday left and the Sniper was immediately thankful for rest from the man's stare. He brought a hand up to his eyes and ran a finger over the terrible scar which had before cut his eyes in half. Jack remembered the agonizing, excruciating pain his counter parts knife had delivered and he grimaced at the thought of it.

He sighed as he got to his feet, his body shaking uncontrollably as he did. Jack took a swig of the water his team's Medic had left. The Sniper walked without balance, often needing to hold on to the rails of the intelligence corridors to keep himself upright. Jack's body was weak, and yet his will was still strong. He knew who he was looking for, he was looking for the girl. The girl he had undertaken so much pain and suffering for, the girl who was under his team's protection. But where was she? The Sniper jumped out of his skin as a bird song voice rang out behind him, "You're awake!" Slowly he turned around, balancing on the rails as he did. There, standing in front of him was Roxie in all her shining glory. Although her skin was radiant, grey bags were plentiful under her green eyes which were missing the black material that normally hid them. He groaned at the bags under her eyes, had she stayed up for him? "I'm really sorry… If it wasn't for me, none of this," She said as she motioned to the scars on his face, making him flinch, "Would have happened…" Roxie's head dropped in shame, and instantly the Australian understood. She had blamed herself for the torture he had been through because it was her they wanted to know about. "Now listen here Shelia," he started, his gaze becoming stern under his aviators, "Ya can't blame yerself, it's not yer fault." Roxie sighed, "But I-"He was quick to silence her with a glare. Jack was about to start another sentence when the fastest member of their team ran up to them, concern radiating from the frown on his face. "Geeze, Snipes, one! The FUCK happened over there? Two, uh, Fridays a bit angry your not sleepin'" he said as he eyed the scars. Jack reacted with anger that the two young adults did not see coming, "What tha bloody 'ell do ya think happened ya mongrel? A Tea party?" he spat at the Bostonian. Ethan held his hands up in surrender, "Whoa! Calm down brotha!" Roxie frowned at the man, "Whats up Jack? Yer not acting loike yerself…" Jack growled in the back of his throat and shifted his furious glare at her instead, "I've jus' been through hours of bloody torture an' ya expect me ta be normal?" He laughed as Ethan stepped in front of the girl, "Hey back off!" Ethan snarled at him. Jack simply shook his head and started to hobble away from them. After a few moments of grunting, the Sniper disappeared around the corner.

"Frikkin' hell, whats up with him?" The boy asked, his frown fading. Roxie rolled her eyes, "Let's just give him time to recover. Oi mean, he's jus' headed in the direction of a dead end." As if on cue, a string of curses echoed through the hall from the agitated Sniper. More grunting sounded as the Australian made his way down the corridor, past the couple, and out of the door. Ethan resisted the urge to laugh at the man and turned his attention to his new girlfriend, "What are we gon' do about the battles?" he questioned. Her eyes widened and she started to walk towards the infirmary, "That reminds me, they found out wha' was wrong with tha' Respawn. It wasn't much, jus' the serum he had used. He's going ta give me another shot and I will be able ta fight." Ethan nodded, "Ok, so we're meant ta trust serum with you life," he stated sarcastically. "C'mon Flash, it's better serum than no serum," she laughed as she took his hand in hers. "I love it when ya call me that," he grinned. "Which is why Oi do so" Roxie replied, a smile on her face as they went through the door to the Infirmary.

Friday turned to them as they entered, with a now knocked out Sniper lying on the Infirmary bed. He shrugged as he saw them looking at him, "I varned him." Ethan gazed upon the body of the Australian and his face turned red, his cheeks expanding like a Guinea Pig's. Moments later after a silent war, he burst out laughing. The Listener sighed and rolled her eyes at the boy before continuing in. She was met with the same white walls to which she woke up to a few days ago, and frowned at the memory. Roxie shook her head, causing her black and red fringe to fall over her left eye. "I'm here for tha' Respawn serum, ya said it would be ready t'day," she said, pointing at the familiar needle with the thick liquid inside. His eyebrows rose, and then he nodded, "Ach, Es tut mir leid, ich vergaß Listener." He hurried over to the needle and picked it up with a sadistic and crazed look in his eye. Roxie noticed that he was staring at the point of the needle, meanwhile grinning like he was admiring it. A short cough from the Listener snapped him out of the strange trance and he turned to her with an annoyed expression, "Ja? Oh, ja!" his eyes widened as he remembered what he was going to do. He stepped next to her, closing the curtain to separate them and the Sniper to let him sleep, and yet instinctively Ethan stepped back, his eyes locked on the needle like it was going to be the death of him. Knowing Friday, if Ethan pissed him off, it would be. Without saying a word, the Medic plunged the needle into the top of her right arm and squeezed out its contents. After the serum had been emptied, he withdrew the needle and placed it on the table next to him. "Check wiz Herr Engineer zhat the machine ist picking du up," Friday ordered as he shooed them out of the office. Reluctantly the duo marched out the door and shut it behind them.

He sighed at the peace and quiet and sat down in the office chair next to his desk when the suddenly the clattering of metal trays and movement from behind the curtain drew his immediate attention. He stood; cautiously he approached the area, "Bist du es, Sniper?" he called out. The restraints that had secured the man to the bed were snapped in two, the sheets were thrown back onto the floor in Medics point of view, an extremely untidy fashion, and worst of all- Jack was gone. The sound of more smashing glass from behind him made the man swiftly turn around and jog in the same direction, what he saw shocked him. The Sniper was stumbling around like he had no balance, clutching his head with his eyes squeezed shut, Friday realized instantly that he wasn't just in the obvious pain he seemed to be, it looked like he was _fighting_ it. "Sniper? Vhat's wrong?" He shouted, stepping towards the man who was thrashing around wildly. The German reached out to grab him but the man jerked back, "S-stay away! I don't… know wha' i-is h-happen-" His sentence was cut short when he let out an agonized scream that the Medic would normally hear from him when he's been killed on the battlefield.

The Australian fell to his knees, his arms flopping to his side and his head dropping as his screams finished. The Doctor was intrigued, yet extremely terrified, "H-herr Sniper?" he asked, once again approaching the still man. If anybody had asked him, that would have been the worst mistake he had ever made apart from attending Military camp. But that was a whole different story. Jack's head shot up in his direction, his aviators broken, leaving his blood-shot eyes visible and horrifyingly heart-stopping. Still staring at the Medic, he rose to his feet steadily, a sinister smirk on his cut lips. This time it was the Medic's turn to take steps back as the man came forward, his arm shaking as it extended towards him. Before he knew it, he was pressing himself against a wall to get away from the man. The Sniper was now an inch away, his hand reaching for the Medic's face. "_Whats up, Doc?_" The Sniper whispered before sending a powerful punch to Friday's cheek. Friday was sent sideward's, crashing into a desk. With a speed the Medic never knew the Australian had, Jack grasped Friday's head and smacked it against the desk. That's was all it took for the German to black out and for his body to crumple to the floor as Jack let go of his head. Without a moment's hesitation, the man searched for a weapon, after moments of searching he picked the Medic's bone-saw that was hidden in a draw. His blood-shot eyes still searched for an item, the metal tray. Jack picked it up and started to saw at the desk, it didn't last long, when he pulled the saw out of the wood, he had a satisfied look on his face. The Australian took his leave, clutching the two items. He had a feeling he was going to need them.

/

The couple arrived outside of the Engineer's room, and slightly hesitating, they knock on the cold metal door designed to keep people out. There was a tired yawn and then the door swung open, the Engineer was standing there in his red pajamas with a not very impressed look on his face. "What in tarnation are y'all doin' up this late? Don' you jackrabbits know we gotta battle tomorra'?" he asked, wiping the sleepy look from his eyes.

He looked different without his goggles on, and Ethan thought it reminded him of Roxie the first time he saw her without her blindfold. "That's just it hardhat, we gotta know whether the chick," he pointed his thumb at Roxie, "Is in da Respawn." With a few grumbles, he brushed past them and started towards the Resupply, where the Respawn machine was in wait. It didn't take them long to get there, seeing as Dell's room was the closest to it, with the infirmary and Ethan's room the furthest. As they entered the resupply, the Texan walked over to the target board, which had been shot numerous times. They both watched in interest as Dell pushed his thumb into the centre bullet hole like it was a button. A high-pitched beep echoed through the resupply as, to the amazement of the observing couple, the Resupply cupboard started to turn around, so the supplies were in the wall and a large high-tech screen as big as the cupboard itself was facing them. A chorus of 'ooo's came from the two young adults. On the screen was a picture of each and every member, with a long red bar next to it. Roxie couldn't help but notice, next to hers, Ethan's, Dell's and Jack's pictures there was a little green light. Everybody else had a purple light, apart from Friday whose light was a fair orange. She didn't really understand, but at least she knew she was in the system. Surprised curses from Dell made her jump as he stared intently at the lights she had been focused on.

"What's up, Engie?" Ethan asked, beating her to the question. Dell turned to them, "Green light means the persons active, moving about, purple means there inactive, sleeping, and orange means that they are unconscious." Roxie's eyes widened as she realized what was going on. Obviously the concept was still lost with the Scout, "And? Your point is?" Roxie turned him to face her, "Fridays light is purple, and Jack's light is green." He froze, understanding it. Dell pressed his thumb in the bullet hole and ran over to a speaker, pressing down the green button, "Howdy guys! Ah know this is a horrible wake up call, but Fridays light is purple! Get to the infirmary, and find Jack while yer at it! Go on now, git!" The Engineers voice sounded throughout the base and when he turned around, he found that the two had already set off running. "Dang-nabbit! Wait up!" he yelled after them as he ran.

Doors were slamming as RED Members ran out. The tired mercenaries sprinted towards the Infirmary. Soon enough, all of them were together expect obviously the Sniper and Medic. "I'll find tha' Sniper! You fella's go get Friday!" The panting Texan said through gulps of air. Roxie nodded, "Me too!" The two of them split from the group and headed down a different corridor. "Where'd ya think he'd be?" Roxie asked, reloading her pistol so it was ready if she needed it. "I… I think he's gonna be in tha' tower" The Listener nodded and kept on running, _He better be OK…_

**/**

**Aand scene! Wow. That was the longest chapter I've ever written. Hope you've enjoyed it. The next chapter won't be as big, as this one was only bigger because I needed to get the story somewhere. **

**Aspiring Outcast x**


	9. Fire And Rain

**Damn it! I'm really sorry! I've had such bad writers block. I've been able to come up with ideas, but I haven't been able to write them out! Agh. I'm really sorry. I hope the chapters Ok...**

**/**

It was almost midnight, and in New York one of the many bar's were loud with the sound of laughing and cheering of many Men and Women, whom had decided that a midnight drink wouldn't hurt. How unfortunate for them. The man with jet black hair and icy-pale blue eyes, dressed in a leather jacket and jeans smiled as he observed the crowd from behind the bar. One particular woman who looked like she was going to leave caught his eye. Silently the red-heeded woman in the short, black dress made her way swiftly across the room and towards the door. Her brown eyes narrowed in confusion as she tried to open the Oak gateway and failed. The man watched in amusement as she shook the door slightly and looked around for another door. The man knew there was another out the back of the bar but that too was locked. The woman's eyes landed on him, and slowly she made her way over to the bar. "Urm, excuse me Sir, but the door is locked," the woman stated, pointing towards the doors with a thumb gesture. The man nodded, "So it is, what do you expect me to do about it?" he asked, fake curiosity painted his words.

This had obviously caught the attention of the other people in the bar; one particular man who was obviously partially drunk called out, "Well then, open the door for the lady." The black-haired man simply shook his head and opened a fresh Orange and Passion fruit J20. Taking a sip from the bottle, he quickly started to chug the refreshment down his throat. His Adams apple bobbed with every gulp of the liquid. One of the men growled in a drunken rage, stomping over to the bar man with as much speed as he could (which wasn't much considering he stumbled almost everywhere). "Listen mate, just WHO do you think you are?" he demanded, staring into the others eyes. The man with the black hair smirked and took the empty bottle of J20 by its neck in his right hand, "I think I'm Flynn Carter." Numerous horrified gasps and cries rippled through the crowd of twenty people. He could faintly pick out a few sentences, 'Is he the one who killed...' and 'we need to get out of here...' But one of the murmurs ended up being shouted down his ear, "I'm going ta kill ya for what ya did!" One particular man yelled.

Turning on his heel, Flynn's eyes scanned the body of his new opponent. He was a strong built man, and looked like he had taken many punched. There were two points on his whole body that Flynn could mark as 'weak-points', the man's mouth and his knees. So, with a slight crazed grin and sadistic shine to his eyes, Flynn acted. With a speed none other in the bar had seen before, the man blocked a sudden punch that the strong built man had sent flying towards him. He lifted up his foot and slammed it against the man's knee, thus easily bending it backwards with the force. A large snap emitted from the broken knee, but Flynn was far from finished with the screaming man. Another kick to his broken knee made the man once again scream out, and Flynn took no hesitation in shoving the glass J20 bottle in it. The man's eyes widened in surprise, but soon the surprise turned to extreme agony and horror as Flynn sent an upper cut under the man's chin. The glass in his mouth shattered and broke as his teeth forcefully bit onto it. The broken glass was sent into the man's gums and Tongue, turning the sensitive flesh into hanging strings of tattered and bloody flesh. The man flew back from the uppercut and lay there in shock. As Flynn looked up, still grasping the end of the bottle, people screamed who weren't already doing so and backed away as far as possible. Flynn sighed and cracked his neck, calling out one word that for the people, meant life or death, "Window."

Eyes widened in realization and one by one, in a screaming choir, they ran away from the man clutching a broken bottle. He grinned and watched in triumph as they ran. With a cackle, he yelled out to the fleeing people, "Ready or not! Here I come!" He ran, jumping out of the window and onto the pavement. As he ran down the street, the adrenaline started to fade from his systems. He looked around and no scared individual could be seen. He dropped the bottle and started walking away; it had been fun while it lasted. Just as he turned to walk down an alley way, the sound of footsteps reached his ears and he paused- readying himself to either run away or fight. But what he saw made him freeze; it was the woman from the bar, the one who had tried to open the door. And Flynn's eyes narrowed as he realized the woman wasn't alone. "We waited like you said Heather, and still you haven't got any of the money..." The voice was gravely and moments afterwards a feminine chuckle rang out. Standing before 'Heather' were two people, a man with a round stomach clad in an old Tux that was easily too tight and a way-too-thin girl dressed in what seemed to be clothes that belonged to a prostitute.

"I-I'm sorry!" Heather stuttered, her red hair swishing as she shook her head, "I left my purse at a bar- I-I ran into some trouble!" The pair didn't seem persuaded by her pleads and laughed again, "Oh? What trouble would that be?" the two of them looked like they were ready to fight, and by the look of their victim, if he didn't do something then they would easily kill the woman, and it wouldn't be quick. Heather's eyes were shedding unseen tears of fear and she was about to answer, when suddenly- "The trouble would be ME." Instinctively the man and woman span around, fists clenched but Flynn had acted first. He backhanded the woman away from Heather, and sent her sprawling onto the pavement. The man had tried to punch the murderer, but instead punched a brick wall as Flynn ducked. He cried out in pain as his knuckles broke with the impact, but his eyes bulged as a fist slammed into his groin. He let out a pained wheeze and clutched his privates as he fell to his knees. Quickly standing up, Flynn punched the man's cheek to finish him, and the man fell to the floor. The woman hadn't given up and when he raced towards him, she was met with a Desert Eagle pressed against her forehead. "If you value your puny existence, you would leave now," he stated, looking down at the man, "Both of you." The woman growled but picked the man up off the floor and quickly disappeared around the corner of the back street.

Heather was audibly shaking and struggling to control her breath, not a big surprise. Flynn turned around to her, "You should go, you're not safe around me." She shook her head in disbelief, "B-but you saved my life..." Flynn rolled his eyes, "I'm a wanted serial killer, what's one life compared to thirty." Her eyes followed him as he walked off and tucked the gun into his pocket. Before he disappeared around the corner like the duo before him, she ran forwards and planted a kiss on his cheek, "Thank you anyway." Flynn didn't stop walking, but she saw a faint smile on his lips as he turned the corner, leaving her in the darkness of the night.

Flynn's heart fluttered- had that really happened? Then he frowned. No, he didn't like her. He cursed at himself, what a fool he was being, love only ties you down. He shook his head; you're an adult for god sake, your 31 years old! You're better than this. He stopped in the shadows of the sidewalk and looked back, Heather wasn't there. His eyes closed, but suddenly a pain shot through the man's body from his neck. He let out a cry and grasped at his neck, pulling a single orange dart from his skin. His mind and thoughts swam with confusion. Was it the police? Had they found him? He looked around with blurring vision, and just as he blacked out, the faded image of a Limo pulled up on the road in front of him.

/

Ethan sprinted inside, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of the fallen Medic. "Friday! Where are ya man?" he yelled out into the previously silent room. He paused for a moment, and sighed. He'd have to act like Roxie. Breathing as quietly as he could, his eyes fell closed and he listened to his surroundings. Ethan grinned as a very light groan rang out to his right. Turning on the spot, he dived behind the bench, landing next to the awakening man. He was swiftly joined by Fabien who wasted no time in propping the German up against the desk. It took a few moments, but Friday came to his senses with a dazed expression on his face. As soon as he was ready to except the dark world around him, he groaned again, "V-vhere, vhat...? Oh... Zat" he said as the memory's flooded back into his mind. The other members had caught up and were looming over him.

"I demand to know what has happened! Who was it? Was it those scum-sucking BLU's? Have they taken Jack again?" Jane Doe almost shouted down his ear. Ivan hovered around the office, observing the mess, "Nyet, would be bigger mess if were BLU." Friday nodded, growling at the oncoming headache that was painfully annoying to him, "Ja, mein Heavy, it was not BLU, it vas Herr Sniper." The team froze, staring at the Medic like he mad. "Are ye being serious lad?" Tavish asked, his eye narrowing at the man. When Medic simply nodded, Fabien knelt at his side and looked up at the RED Members, "Tavish, Jane and Ethan, go and find ze bushman, Burns, Ivan et je vill look after Friday." The three men nodded and rushed out the door, grabbing their shovel and bat off the side as they passed. Burns shook his head, "Tvshh frgtt hss scmpy ggn." Ivan chuckled quietly as possible to not wake the sleeping Doctor, "Da, his scrumpy is with vodka in tiny fridge, Он может быть очень забывчивый." He muttered some more in Russian before picking his partner up, "Spy! Go get blankets, Pyro start fire!" he said as he pointed to a small fireplace in the corner of the room. Burns chuckled darkly and held up a match and lighter as he stared at the fireplace. Fabien rolled his eyes at the firebug and walked off to get the blankets, feeling slightly unnerved by the masked mercenary.

/

Roxie had been taught to use her ears not her eyes, but when her prey wasn't making any noise, she was forced to use her sight. Her eyes were focused on one blur in the near-distance which seemed to be near the ladder of the Sniper's nest. Dell was at her side, and they were both puffing and panting from the distance they had had to run. They were almost there, Jack wasn't far away. A part of the girl's instincts told her to keep away, that something was wrong but she ignored the feeling knowing that Jack needed help. As the two mercenaries neared the figure, Roxie was happy to see that it was indeed Jack, but her heart skipped a beat when they saw that he was lying motionless on the ground. Her instincts were screaming at her, her mind was racing in beat with the girls endless thoughts.

And so she stopped. Roxie came to a halt a few feet away from the man, but Dell continued on to the unconscious mans side. Panic and worry were written on his features and in his body language as he knelt next to his friend. "Mundy? Oh lord, Mundy wake up!" Dell called out to him, shaking his shoulders lightly. A soft groan from the Sniper made the Texan smile, he was Okay. Roxie watched as he slowly, gently started to prop the man up against the ladder, but as he did the Engineers body suddenly jolted. A wide blade was poking out of his back, and Roxie screamed, "Oh my god, Dell!" She watched in horror as the man drew his last breath and his body faded as he was picked up by Respawn. Eyes wide and mouth hanging open, Roxie almost fell to the sandy ground in disbelief as she saw no-one but Jack holding the Medic's saw.

Another groan escaped from the man's throat, and now her thoughts were screaming at her to run, to get the others. But she approached him slowly, rebelling against her mind. Roxie once again stopped when Jack dropped the saw on the ground beside him and held his head, "What in the bloody 'ell..." He looked around and when his eyes fell on Roxie she flinched, "What happened..?" he asked her, like he didn't have a clue what he had just done. Roxie gulped and whispered, "Y-you killed Dell..." The man's face paled and slowly he turned his head towards the saw beside him. He jolted and scurried away from the weapon that was dripping with fresh blood, "What! Huh! Why?" Jack screamed out, but then he cried in agony, "_GET OUT OF MY HEAD_!" Roxie flinched as the sound met her ears, and she finally got control of her legs. The woman sprinted forward towards the Sniper but was punched on the arm when she got too close. The blow wasn't very powerful but still the look of shock ebbed onto her face. Suddenly, a pair of hands took her arm and dragged her away from the screaming man, Ethan. "Roxie! Are you ok? Did 'e hurt ya?" He demanded, a frown on his face. She shook her head, but the blood on the bone saw told a completely different story to the Bostonian. He snarled at the man, "You frickin' brainless camper! I should smack ya head in right here and right now!" Two chuckles from behind them signified that two more RED members had arrived on the scene. Jane and Tavish were glaring at the groaning Sniper and picked him up with ease from the ground, "You're coming with us Shelia," Jane ordered. Jack growled and suddenly snapped at them animalisticly as he was dragged away.

The growling stopped as he groaned again, "Wait..." but as soon as he had uttered that single word; his body sagged and became limp in the men's arms. Roxie gasped and shouted after them, "Wait! Somethin' is wrong with him, oi jus' know it!" She was about to run forward to stop them taking him away, but a firm hand closed around her wrist. She turned around to be face to face with her boyfriend, "Let 'em go Rox, tha spineless idiot needs ta be taught some manners." Roxie rolled her eyes and glared at the boy, "Who are ya ta' go and speak 'bout manners, when ya don't have any yerself." Ethan's grip on her never failed as she tried to pull away- and failed. "Let me go!" Roxie demanded, her teeth gritting in anger at the runner. His grip loosened for a split second and that's all she needed to pull away from him and storm off. That didn't leave a gap between them, seeing as he was on her heels the moment she set off, "Wha's up Rox? Why ya actin' like a bitch?" he asked, his eyes narrowing at the girls bitterness. "There's somethin' wrong with Jack… he wouldn't act loike that," she murmured. Ethan laughed, his voice dripping with venom, "Ya kiddin'? I bet, listen," he placed his hand on her shoulder, making her stop in her track, "I bet'cha, he's workin' for BLU. Wouldn't surprise me, that idiot of a-" Roxie turned around sharply, sending a swift punch towards him- to find that his face wasn't where she aimed. The boys own fist connected with her chin in a powerful uppercut and the girl was sent onto the ground. She clutched her chin and her eyes were squeezed open for a few moments, until they flashed open and she looked up at him. He was glaring down at her, fists clenched.

She slowly got up, her back to him. As she turned around her own fist caught him in the stomach, but he retaliated with a punch to her cheek. She growled and decided to end the fight, Roxie aimed and kicked at his groin. But she didn't expect him to catch her foot. With a swift pull and a supportive hand on her back, Ethan pulled her into his body and ended the fight by head butting her. With a pained grunt she fell to the floor, knocked out. The Scout gazed down at her body and sighed, his fists relaxing. He shook his head as he picked her up, swinging her over his shoulder. Well, he just beat up his upset girlfriend. His eyes fell half closed as he began to walk back to the base, carrying her body with effort. He would regret it in the morning when she woke up, and he knew it. It took 3 minutes for him to arrive outside a grey door in the base, and when he opened it, he was met with a confused Engineer. Ethan sighed and dropped Roxie in his arms, "I'll explain later." Dell was speechless at the fact a knocked out Roxie was now in his care but decided to yell at the Scout who was walking towards the mess hall, "You'd better!" The Texan looked down at the woman and sighed, "Demo was right; ya really ARE like fahre an' rain."

**/**

**So, the two characters Abigail Doe and Flynn Carter. One with extraordinary sight and the other with amazing reflexes. Does anybody see what I'm doing? If you do, feel free to ask me if you got it right.**

**I would really appreciate reviews people! And hints of how to get over writers block would be great! Thanks.**


	10. Train Journey

Roxie grunted as she hauled her bag onto the train. It wasn't light, seeing as it had absolutely everything she needed in it. She groaned as she petted her aching forehead which had been annoying her since she woke up in the Engineer's room. She had thanked Dell for his hospitality and asked him how she got there. When he told her that the Scout had dropped her off when she was unconscious, Roxie had growled and cursed both Ethan, and herself. The fight between them was clear in her memory, and she had to admit, she had got her ass kicked. She cracked her knuckles as she sat down in a cart at the back of the Train, but jumped out of her skin when she saw that in the fenced off section to her right was a very much awake RED Sniper. Roxie was about to jump up and talk to him, when the door to her left slid open and Dell Conagher strode in. He nodded his greetings at her and then he froze, obviously noticing Jack. He went to turn around but after a minute of mentally fighting with himself, sat down next to the Listener. "Howdy Rox. Where are tha others?" he asked as he pushed his bag under the seat next to hers. "In tha cart two up from this one," she replied, motioning in the direction of the other RED Members. Dell grunted, "Oh. So, we're off to Dustbowl huh? Gonna be hot." Roxie nodded, "Yeah, but we'll be foine." The Engineer nodded absent-mindedly before reaching into his bag and pulling out a small gadget similar to his construction pad he used to build his machines.

The cart suddenly jerked, and after a few moments the train had set off at top speed. Roxie grinned and looked out the window to look at the fading RED base. "G'bye Tuefort, hello Dustbowl," Roxie muttered as she watched the passing scenery. Dell chuckled and nodded once again, but she noticed his grin faded as he glanced at the Sniper. Roxie followed his gaze and saw that Jack had both of his hands hand-cuffed to the chair to prevent him from moving. He was staring out of the window ahead of him, and instantly the Listener wondered what thoughts were running through his head. She shook her head to avert her stare and sat back in her chair. A small growl from the Engineer caught her attention and only then did she realize he had stood up and was in the process of leaving. He slammed the door shut firmly, leaving Roxie and Jack in the fairly awkward silence. Slowly, she stood up and made her way over to the door, certain that she didn't want to be on her own with him. "Wait, Roxie, don't go" the gravelly voice from behind her pleaded. Slowly she turned around, "Why did you do it Jack?" she asked, her words as plain and clear as still water. His head dropped, "Oi didn't. I-I know that ye saw it, but you have to believe me." The man's voice was pleading, which Roxie was not expecting from the man who attacked their Medic and killed their Engineer. Yet, for some reason, she trusted him. Slowly, the half-blind girl turned around to face him. "What do you mean you didn't do it?" She asked doubtfully, eyes narrowing under her blind fold. Jack sighed, "I… Oi just didn't do it; maybe I wasn't in my right mind... I wouldn't know..." She saw his head drop so it was resting against his chest and his shoulder's sag. A pang of pity for the other Australian rocketed through her and she found herself walking towards him, "Alright, against all the odds, I believe ya." His head lifted up and he smiled, "Ya do? Thanks Sheila." He seemed relieved but as he went to move he was stopped once again by the tight cuffs around his wrist.

Roxie stepped back and looked around, noticing that there were a pair of keys hanging from a hook next to the door. With a smile, she grabbed them and stood at the door into Jacks own little prison. "Can I trust you not to move?" She asked, holding the keys in her grasp. The Sniper vigorously nodded, "I won't move, I promise." She went ahead and cautiously opened the door with the keys, before heading in and shutting the door behind her. Jack frowned slightly, "What're you doin'?" Roxie flicked through the keys, "Getting you outta these cuffs." With a few clicks, the steel bonds fell with a thud from the man's wrists. Roxie nodded at him, "We've got a long way to Dustbowl, so have a good sleep- God knows you'll need it with Solly at'cha." Jack smiled weakly at the reminder, "Thanks for this Shelia..."

~ Three hours pass, its midnight at Dustbowl Train Station-

The train doors were pulled open slowly and out stepped Ethan, followed by Dell, Burns, Fabien, Ivan, Friday and Roxie. The weary mercenaries trudged along towards the path to their base for the next fortnight, but suddenly a loud crash erupted from the train behind them. "What in Sam Hill..." Dell grumbled. The seven members of RED turned around, to see an agitated Jane Doe roughly push Jack out of the train. The Sniper tumbled forward and even though he was quick to his feet- Doe was faster and caught the Australian in a harsh headlock. "Let me go, ya yel-" Jack sneered before the headlock got tighter. "Shut your traitor mouth Sheila, or I'll shut it for you!" Jane growled furiously. The last member of RED- Tavish, slowly stumbled out of the train with a large, purple bruise on his head, "Ya do that again Laddie, and I swear I'll kill you, ye campy-weasel!"

Ivan approached them, "What happened?" Someone undid this son-of-a-bitches shackles, that what!" Jane yelled, like he was automatically demanding to know who did it. "I know who did it, it was you, wasn't it lass?" Tavish stared at Roxie, his one eye narrowing. Eyes turned to look at her, and eventually the girl nodded, "Yes, I did it because I trusted him." The Sniper laughed in the Soldiers grip, before snapping fiercely at the approaching Demoman. The man's fist came into contact with the Australians head and his head snapped to the side. The Marksman was knocked out from the blow almost instantly and his head dropped a faint murmur escaping his lips as he lost consciousness. Roxie could only watch as Jack was dragged off. The mercenaries passed her, not bothering to make any eye-contact with her. All apart from Ethan who gave her a sad look before heading off down the path. The girl was left to walk alone in the darkness.

_Roland observed the screens, and smirked down at the Engineer, "Two hours?" The hard-hatted Texan nodded, his blue uniform shining in the low-light, "Two hours until we're back online."_


	11. Dustbowl

Wowza, Okay. Hey guys, AspiringOutcast here. I almost dumped this story you know, a little help from my friend Jake and it may just be up and running again. Sorry about that last chapter- it was filler, I know. I never planned for The Hunted to be started back up again. But yeah, enjoy this next chapter. God knows I have enjoyed writing it.

/~

Roxie trembled at the gate of her Resupply, before taking a deep breath and shaking her head. _No. She was going to do this. She was going to prove herself to the team. She WOULDN'T fall, not this time. Not ever again. _Her hands closed around the hold of one of her knives and then Roxie Hale took her first step towards conquest.

The eagles cried and the wind was almost summoning up a Sandstorm on the field of Dustbowl, and yet the battle was still on time. The Administrator counted down slowly, almost inspiring the two teams to do their best to prepare for their almost certain oncoming death. The BLU Scout, Miles, was stood with his feet planted firmly on the ground, right behind the gate to the battle field that would be raised within the following ten seconds. A big mistake on his part. As the gates slid quickly and smoothly open, the boy jumped forward, only to be set alight by the fiery demon Burns, the RED Pyro. His manic laughter interrupted the war sirens as Miles was exposed to the intense heat of the flame thrower. In the boys panic, he had automatically started to flail around and shout "MEDIC" in an agonised dread, only to fall to the ground moments later- his skin swiftly turning black with ash. The masked arsonist didn't have enough time to taunt however, as the BLU Heavy and Medic combo, Sven and Peter ran out of the gates and onto the battlefield. The firebug didn't stand a chance as Burns' body was swiftly filled with bullets, and his skin and uniform was turned to shreds. "Who sent these babies to fight me?" Sven roared, lifting his Minigun into his big arms.

As BLU advanced, the beep of a unseen level two sentry sent them scurrying for cover, "Where is little machine?" Sven grumbled. Peter looked around, "There, mei-" but the German's sentence was cut short by his very own tortured scream. The Heavy swiftly turned around, to see the Medic somehow still standing, but no! What looked like a silver knife has entered the back of the Medic's neck and protruded through the back of his throat, the tip of the blade just past the man's lips. "Doctor!" Sven cried, his eyes widening as the Medic finally fell, the man's head lowered to the ground slowly as slid down the knife in his neck. "Ya should be more cautious, tubby!" A voice growled from behind him, and before he could turn around a knife was drawn swiftly and deeply across the Russians throat. Behind him stood Roxie, her blindfold was once again covering her eyes, she wore a red vest top and baggy black shorts. The girl stood silently for a few seconds before retrieving her knives and running off. After all, she no longer had the element of surprise on her side.

"Was that…" Fabien's cigarette had dropped to the floor when his mouth fell agape, he had been healing by the dispenser before witnessing Roxie's fight. Friday had joined him afterwards, having too watched the event. "Well, Herr Jane Doe did say she was a lethal weapon…" Friday smiled sadistically, his mind running over the skills he had witnessed. "Do you think she's eligible for the uber device?" Fabien asked. "The Uber Device is given to true members of the teams. If she does a good god today, then yes, I think she will be adequate for the device," The Medic smiled, "She's finally showing her true colours hm, Mein Kamerad?" A puff of smoke sauntered from the Frenchman's mouth, a new cigarette pursed between his rough lips, "I think we have yet to see her limit, mon copain."

Down at the RED Resupply, a figure was lurking. A knife was poised in his grasp and a smile was on his face. He loved the fact there was a ledge above the door, his backstabs were easier. His victims never saw it coming. Then, footsteps. They were light, like a Scouts. He smiled, _perfect_. The RED Runner stepped out, and he went for it. The knife was in the correct position, the Scouts back was right- there? "Hey, what the?!" Ethan cried as he was shoved away, from the incoming Spy. Roxie took his place, with her silver pistol drawn and firing at the Spy. The bullets ripped through the man's head and chest and as he hit the floor, he was dead. Ethan stared down at the body of the enemy, and when he looked back up again, Roxie was already running off_. "Alert! The enemy is capturing our control point!" _

By the time Ethan had reached the Point, the sight he was left with was alarming. The body of both a BLU and RED Engineer and the BLU Scout was layed at Roxie's feet, or should he say below. The girl was being lifted by the neck of an angry BLU Soldier who was in the process of taunting her. The girl spat in the face of the enemy Soldier, cursing him with venom in her voice, and in return she was thrown sideways to the ground. Before the Soldier could do anything else, Ethan shot two rounds from his Scattergun right into the chest of the BLU. Blood spurted from his wound, and with a whack from the boy's Sandman, the BLU was down.

"Rox, are ya okay?" Ethan asked, down on his knees, next to her. "Yeah, I-I'm fine…" She replied, but the blood flowing from a bullet wound in her stomach said otherwise. "No ya not, c'mon, this battle is over for today," He stated, lifting her up. Almost on cue, the Administrator counted down from ten seconds. As the Scout lead her away with him arm under her shoulders, Roxie's ear twitched. "You disgust me!" A voice growled quietly from behind them. Roxie's hand darted for the Runners pistol and the Australian forcefully span around, shooting the whole clip into the BLU Spy's body.

_3… 2… 1!_

The Spy fell dead once more, and Roxie groaned in pain at the wound, "You owe me one.." And with that, the Scout chuckled after getting over the shock and lead her away in the direction of the newly respawned Medic.

/~

Well, what do you think? I need reviews. I feed on reviews XD

Thanks for reading guys.


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